Come To Join Me Crew Lad?
by MidnightDreamer1988
Summary: He asked a simple question, barely turning around, and instead of the truth, she answered with a lie instead. She's now forced to act like a man to comply to her lie, but she doesn't know that he's already discovered the truth...eventual Jack x Elizabeth
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean**

**Jack: That would be a truly discomfiting notion, luv…**

**Alright! This is my first attempt at writing a Jack and Elizabeth pairing, which I really wished for after Dead Man's Chest, although the whole "Sparrabeth!" and "Willabeth!" discussion really tired me (as a joke, my brother and I tried propagating "Sparrowill!", but neither of us were very dedicated or very serious :D). Anyhow, as you all know from the movies, I most certainly did not get my wish, which was rather disappointing, since I'm not fond of William Turner. I've been watching the movies over and over again though, and this idea suddenly popped up in my head.**

**The story takes place during _Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest_, and now I'll just shut up and let the story unfold…**

**Ah yes, and pardon me for the somewhat uncreative title, but bear in mind that I'm a college student with tons of homework that I'm currently procrastinating on.**

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******  
Come To Join Me Crew Lad?**

_Prologue – In Which Elizabeth Makes A Split Decision_

* * *

Elizabeth Swann's first impression of Tortuga was certainly going to be memorable, having stepped into a tavern only to witness the largest drunken brawl in all of history, complete with people being thrown from the aisles and staircases, the flying fists, and even the sharp clanging of swords ringing out through the air. However, what was even more astonishing was that at the center of the rowdy crowd was Commodore James Norrington, whom Elizabeth had assumed was the epitome of propriety, cleanliness, and good manners, seeing as he had behaved with her most courteously during the period of their engagement. Obviously, he had completely discarded that visage, for he was currently in a rather decrepit state, his clothes unkempt and stained, scraggly brown hair peeking out from underneath the ruined and mussed white wig, his face streaked with dirt, and a rum bottle in his hand. And it seemed that the polite Commodore had caused the commotion, for there were quite a few men who were attacking him with swords, and while the Commodore seemed quite alright at defending himself, Elizabeth knew very well that sooner or later, he would be outnumbered. So she drew out her sword and began to fend off the attackers, keeping her eyes open for one Captain Jack Sparrow

A few minutes after she had joined the fray, her prediction was correct, for she and James were surrounded, being held at the point of the a sword, and while her eyes were simply scanning her surroundings and looking for the elusive Jack she had hoped to see, James was foolishly challenging their attackers.

"Come on then!" he yelled out menacingly, standing in one place, swaying ever so slightly due to all the rum he had consumed as he held his sword, pointing it towards the crowd. "Who wants some? Form an orderly line and I'll have you all one by one!"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes in exasperation while keeping her own sword in front of her, just in case someone took James' drunken threats seriously.

"Come on!" James' voice increased in volume and annoyance. "Who's first?"

Elizabeth's patience finally snapped, and without a single word or indication, she simply grabbed the rum bottle in James' hand and smashed it against his head, watching him fall in satisfaction, thankful that she no longer had to listen to his empty threats. She glanced upwards to see the entire crowd of attackers staring at her in disbelief, and she simply shot them a smile.

"I just wanted the pleasure of doing that myself!" she exclaimed in her disguised voice, releasing the remainders of the shattered bottle to the ground. Smiles of understanding broke out from all around her, and cheers began to ring out through the air as the pirates began to cluster around James, lifting him from the floor and carrying him out of the tavern. Elizabeth followed curiously from a distance, unsure of what was occurring, and before she knew it, the pirates had thrown him into the mud, where the pigs were housed, laughing as they walked away from James, the tavern regaining its typical drunken stupor. However, Elizabeth couldn't bring herself to leave the site, and she slowly made her way to James, who was rising from the mud, coughing and wiping away the disgusting slop that had accumulated on his face. She kneeled down next to him, her eyes alight with pity as she stared at the man who was once the pride of the king's navy.

"James Norrington" she whispered softly, catching his attention as his eyes drifted towards her visage. "What has the world done to you?"

* * *

James Norrington was quite sure that he was hallucinating. His days in Tortuga were already far beyond miserable, and the day had continued to spiral downward as he encountered Jack Sparrow, the cause of all his misfortunes, and failed to shoot the infuriatingly smug pirate. Then he somehow managed to make enemies with the entire tavern in a matter of minutes, resulting in him being held at the point of many swords, and before he could begin to defend himself, he had felt his own rum bottle slip out of his hands. He was just about to turn around and skewer the man who dared to touch his rum, but he heard a crash, and his world had gone black. Somehow, during the time he had been unconscious, he ended up in the pigpen, drenched in mud and unidentifiable slop. Yes, his day had certainly gone from miserable to downright terrible.

And despite all he had gone through in the last hour, this was by far the worst circumstance he could imagine. He closed his eyes for a moment, sure that the person kneeling next to him would disappear, but once his eyes reopened to see Elizabeth Swann/Turner staring down at him, pity laced in her gaze, James knew that his day, if possible, had become even worse. His broken engagement with Elizabeth was still a festering wound in his heart, and he had decided to heal his heart by chasing after the pirates who brought William and Elizabeth together, going as far as to chance a hurricane just to achieve vengeance. However, not only had that attempt failed, but now, Elizabeth was seeing him in his sorry state, and he was still quite bitter about her rather abrupt breaking of their engagement.

"James?" she murmured softly, her voice full of concern that James had wished she had shown to him during their earlier days of acquaintance. "Are you alright?"

James was decidedly not alright, but was there really any need to tell Elizabeth that? Anyways, the pity and concern in her eyes clearly showed that she had already observed his pathetic state, so there really was no need to elaborate.

"I'm fine for a man who's been banged on the head by his own rum bottle and thrown into muck" answered James bitterly, wiping a bit of the mud from his eyes. Elizabeth helped him remove the white (and now completely ruined and soiled) wig from his head and pressed a finger against the bump rising from his head, eliciting a hiss of pain from James.

"Sorry." Elizabeth smiled sheepishly and withdrew her hand, rising from her knees. "I believe that was my work, but what else could I have possibly done? You were standing there, challenging those men like a drunken fool, and I was afraid that if I didn't stop you in some manner, they would all go at you and you would be unable to defend yourself!"

"Next time you wish to help me, do try to hit me with something less precious to me" muttered James sullenly, rising to his own feet and running his hands down his sullied uniform, trying to brush off as much muck as he possibly could. "I really could have used that rum to help me forget my misery."

"Men!" seethed Elizabeth angrily, her eyes flashing. "All you men ever seem to think about is rum and women!"

"And I suppose your husband is an exception to this rule?" James sneered, not intentionally wanting to snap at Elizabeth, but at the same time, trying to placate the bitterness he held in his heart. However, upon the mention of William Turner, Elizabeth's anger melted slightly, and it finally came to James' attention that not only was Elizabeth in Tortuga, of all places, but she was in men's clothing, and was unaccompanied as well. Where in the world was that annoying blacksmith?

"He's not my husband…not yet" replied Elizabeth, her voice clipped. "Our ceremony was interrupted by Cutler Beckett, but thank you for your concern."

"Fine then, where is your fiancé?" James demanded furiously. "Why has your blacksmith-turned-into-pirate abandoned you in Tortuga unaccompanied?"

"Will and I are sentenced to hang to death for assisting in the escape of a dangerous pirate. Neither of us can take shelter in Port Royal now." Elizabeth grew slightly downcast as she remembered her father's kindness and desperation to save her from the gallows, but she took a deep breath and continued to explain her current circumstances. "I was taken to the gallows, and Will decided to bargain for our freedom by seeking out Jack and handing the compass to Beckett, but while he was gone, Father released me from the gallows and I managed to escape. I'm looking for both Jack and Will now. Have you seen either of them? I saw the Black Pearl in the docks, but I haven't seen a trace of either man!"

The mere mention of Jack made James' blood boil with rage, but Elizabeth's pleading face struck a chord within James' heart, and before he knew it, he suddenly heard his own voice ring out in the air.

"I'll take you to him."

* * *

The dock was rather dark and rickety, but seeing as they were in Tortuga, Elizabeth figured she shouldn't expect more from the drunken inhabitants of a rowdy pirate island. She was just aching to see Will once again, to feel his soft lips on her, to feel like a cherished woman once again after weeks of disguising herself with the garb of a sailor. She couldn't care less about the fact that she now smelled rather questionable having spent far too many minutes with the pigs and James, or that the wood beneath her feet was creaking dangerously with each step she took. She simply wanted to rush to Will and feel his arms wrap around her, and –

Her gaze suddenly fell upon Captain Jack Sparrow, and she was suddenly quite aware that her heart was beating awfully fast upon catching sight of Jack. She quickly shook her head, trying to dispel the butterflies that suddenly seemed to flutter within her, convincing herself that Jack was nothing to admire, with his disgusting habits, lack of cleanliness, complete disregard for morals and honor, his finely toned body, his expressive, kohl-lined eyes, his tell-tale smirk…

Wait, why on Earth was she suddenly thinking of Jack Sparrow in such a flattering manner?

She shook her head slightly once again, clearing her head only to realize that Jack was on the verge of boarding his ship, and she needed to catch his attention so that she could inquire of Will and be reunited with her fiancé once again.

"Captain Sparrow!" called out Elizabeth urgently, her boots thudding against the wooden dock as she made her way to the Captain of the Black Pearl. Jack turned his head slightly, not recognizing her from his quick glance.

"Come to join me crew lad?" called out Jack jovially. "Welcome aboard!"

Elizabeth was about to inform him that she had come for Will, the man she loved. She was about to speak the words she had been prepared to say to his face ever since she escaped Port Royal. However, before she could even open her mouth, a sudden wave of realization hit her.

She did love Will, and she did wish to find him and ensure his safety, but she thirsted for adventure, for the thrill of a pirate's life. She had spent months in Port Royal dreaming of the days that she and Will fought side by side against Barbossa's cursed crew, and she hungered for those action-filled days once again. She had felt caged, sitting in her mansion, waiting for freedom. She had thought that marriage would bring her the freedom she wished for, but her marriage had been shattered, and she had ended up in an entirely new prison. But now, she was free, free to do what she wanted just because she wanted to do what it was that she wished to do (good god, she was beginning to sound like Jack!), free to act on her own whims and desires.

And she knew that those days would be scarce if everyone on the ship knew her as Elizabeth Swann, the upper-class, refined daughter of the Governor of Port Royal.

So instead of speaking the words she had planned to say, she simply tossed aside her previous plan as a new one began to formulate in her mind.

"Edward Smith, ready to join your crew!" she called out, ready to follow Jack, but a series of sputters caused her to turn around and see James vomiting over the side of the dock. However, within a few seconds, he had emptied the contents of his stomach, and he shot Elizabeth an incredulous stare.

"Elizabeth Swann, exactly why did you just tell Sparrow that you are a man when you are undoubtedly female? Whatever happened to your plan to find William Turner?" hissed James, thankfully keeping his voice down so that he wouldn't attract attention.

Elizabeth shut her eyes for a moment as she stood in place, trying her best to devise a suitable explanation for her current course of actions, and was quite horrified to discover that she had none.

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**  
Okay, I've never done a Jack X Elizabeth story, and it's been ages since I wrote a fanfiction, so you need to help me by reviewing! Please? It's not that difficult to just click that button and provide me with feedback :D**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: If I owned Pirates of the Caribbean, I would be rich**

**But I'm not…so obviously, I don't own the rights to any of the three movies**

**Elizabeth: It is obvious…I hardly think that you, with your squeamish mind, would be able to dream up of something as glorious as the Kraken.**

**So true unfortunately, but I was not the most squeamish one! My friend was sitting there in the theatre with me, constantly saying "Ewww" whenever the Kraken or Davy Jones appeared!**

**Anyways thank you so much for the reviews! I was extremely encouraged, and I'll clear things up here on some issues that I spotted in the reviews.**

**Firstly, if I am working within the Pirates of the Caribbean realm shown in the movies but twisting the plot, does it make my piece alternate universe? I would be so thankful if someone will clear that up for me!**

**Secondly, to anyone who assumed otherwise, this IS a Jack x Elizabeth pairing…but I'm the one writing, which means that it'll take a little while for the romance to start appearing. I am slow in that manner (but hey, my love life isn't going anywhere either, so I have an excuse, however pathetic it may be, right?)**

**And another issue...updates are not going to be as frequent as I would like, but if you really want to place the blame, then by all means, please blame my six professors and the makers of the MCAT!**

**I'm shutting up now, so enjoy the first chapter! And sorry, Will does have to make his cameo (forgive me!)**

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**Come To Join Me Crew Lad?**

_Chapter One: In Which Jack is no Drunken Fool_

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"Well Miss Swann?"

Elizabeth, over the course of many years, had discovered exactly how many things one could hate passionately, and her own list was rather long, although some of the items were actually quite childish. However, the three highest ranking items on that list of hers were rum, arranged marriages, and when the ones she loved or cared for called her "Miss Swann" in a formal manner, as if she was some stranger they had only just encountered. She had finally managed to convince Will to stop addressing her as Miss Swann, and now James was annoyingly addressing her in the manner that she despised greatly. Therefore, it was no surprise that she shot James a rather poisonous glare as he waited expectantly for an answer that she had not yet formulated in her mind. She knew the reasons behind her actions, but how could she possibly find a reason that wouldn't scandalize James?

"Don't call me Miss Swann!" she hissed angrily, quickly trying to change the subject. "If you don't recall, I'm currently in disguise as Edward Smith!"

"Yes, but pray tell, what your reason for doing so is?" asked James, a scornful grin surfacing his face. "Do not change the subject Mister Smith!"

"I…" Elizabeth trailed off for a moment, unsure of how to continue.

"You…" replied James mockingly, raising his eyebrow as he leaned against the ship's railing, an infuriating smirk on his face. Elizabeth simply wanted to reach over and slap him, or do anything really, that would wipe that smirk of his face. It was almost as if James knew very well what dilemma was broiling within her, and was simply trying to embarrass her with his mockery.

"I…I can't trust him" lied Elizabeth, her voice wavering slightly, but thankful that she had found a feasible reason, however weak it was, to explain exactly why she had decided to hide her identity from the pirate. She began racking her brain for the various conversations with her father, desperately trying to remember the long and endless list of reasons for why he had no faith or trust in Jack Sparrow. She could really use that list in her defense…

But if only she could remember exactly what her father had said! At this moment, she simply kept remembering how many times Jack had saved her, and proved himself a somewhat good and trustworthy man, although his lack of cleanliness and honesty was rather infuriating…

She suddenly realized that James was still staring at her curiously, and she banished all thoughts from her mind, as she gazed evenly into James' somewhat startled eyes. "I can't trust him," she repeated, her tone firmer than before. "I'm engaged to Will, and we were to be married, had not Beckett intervened, and I don't need Jack constantly trying to convince me otherwise. I came here to find Will and be reunited with him, and perhaps it will be easier to do so in a disguise behind Jack's back."

James gave a short laugh, the curiosity and mockery fading from his eyes as he pushed himself away from the railing. "Well Elizabeth, I'm glad that at least you have enough sense not to trust Sparrow. I always knew Turner was too rash and trusting for his own good, but thankfully, you are more sensible. However, there is still one glaring question that needs to be answered?"

"Edward Smith, James!" Elizabeth reminded him with slight ire, her anger slightly dimmed in the face of confusion upon James' comment. "What question are you speaking of?"

"We're on the boat, are we not?" declared James, reaching up to straighten his hat. "The very boat that Turner was supposed to pursue, if your story is correct. But then where is he?"

Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock for a moment, Will's absence finally dawning upon her, and she glanced around frantically, looking for any trace of the young blacksmith. However, she could only see Jack's newest recruitments assisting in loading the cargo, and Pintel and Ragetti trying to coax some goats to come with them, and she immediately raced down the boarding plank once again.

"Just where are you going?" yelled out James, his stomach churning violently yet again, threatening to empty its contents. He managed to summon enough control to follow her down the plank and reach the area in which she had paused for a moment before grabbing the railing of the dock and vomiting yet again.

"He's not here," whispered Elizabeth, rooted in place. "Where is he?"

"I believe I already informed you of your fiancé's absence," answered James weakly, wiping his mouth against the sleeve of his ruining coat.

"Not Will!" exclaimed Elizabeth in exasperation. "I'm looking for Jack! I need to find him and demand that he tell me Will's whereabouts!"

Neither Elizabeth nor James seemed to notice a pair of black eyes staring at them from the ship, glinting with mischief and humor.

* * *

Contradictory to what the whole world had to say about him, _Captain_ (everyone always seemed to forget that endearment, although he thought that he was quite deserving of it) Jack Sparrow was no drunken fool. Well, actually, there were multiple times he had indulged in a bit too much rum (the island came into his mind…had he not been so drunk, he would've been in his senses and could've prevented the burning of all that wondrous rum), so there was a bit of truth behind the term 'drunken', but fool? Definitely not! After all, that was why he escaped every situation by the skin of his teeth – he was always highly underestimated. No one seemed to consider his witty and quick mind, his keen observation, and his stunningly accurate judge of character, and instead, judged him by his surface value – a scraggly, disheveled, foolhardy pirate who was, more often than not, without his beloved ship, although he was not to blame for those unanticipated circumstances.

So it was no surprise that while Elizabeth Swann and James Norrington were quite confident that Elizabeth's identity would remain hidden under the name of Edward Smith, the very man she was attempting to disguise herself in front of had seen through her in a mere manner of minutes. The disguise completely failed once Jack had actually turned around for longer than a second to study her, and had suddenly noticed her lithe frame swathed in clothes, her hair tucked up underneath her hat, her slightly disheveled appearance, and the fact that there was a remarkable cleanliness to her than there would be to any other man at sea. She and Norrington had also been unaware of Jack's presence nearby them during their bickering, so she was not privy to the fact that she and her former fiancé had blatantly stated their secret. However, Jack had been quite attentive to their words, and he figured that he had just received new enlightenment and humor despite his current grim situation.

A mischievous grin spread across his face as he pushed himself away from his cabin door, venturing towards the boarding plank, from which he could see Elizabeth darting about on the dock, peering around every corner, looking for him. An enthralling thought really, that such a beautiful and enchanting young woman was frantically searching for him, but it was a shame. She had looked much prettier in those dresses she had worn the last time he encountered her.

Of course, had her soaked bodice been any indication, she would look heavenly without a dress, and fortunately, he had no dress in his cabin.

Unfortunately, in her current disguise, he had no way of luring her into his cabin so that she could shed her unflattering mannish outfit and wear no dress whatsoever.

Jack's grin widened though, for although there was no way for him to lure her into his embrace in a direct manner, he was a man of opportunity. He had always given Turner the advice to "wait for the opportune moment" (of course, the bloody fool always managed to do something stupid, so his advice was completely wasted), and that was exactly what he was going to do to obtain his treasure. He had told Turner that not all treasure was silver and gold, but the words had never held much truth for him until that night on the island, the heavenly night that smelled of the sea and of rum as he and his Lizzie had danced around a fire, singing his favorite songs as sparks flew into the black sky.

And not all those sparks were from the fire...there were, without a doubt, sparks flying between the two of them. Had he just been less drunk, he would have been able to fan those sparks, they would've made the most of the night, and he would not have had to wake up the next morning to find the rum gone.

No matter though (about the lack of affectionate activities occurring that night…the rum **always** mattered!). Opportunity had presented itself once again, and Jack was no fool to let it slip out of his hands…again. He had watched her most keenly, and she constantly proved herself to be a unique, beautiful, intelligent, and enchanting young woman, who, just like rum, was almost addictive; one could just not have enough of her. And he'd be damned if he simply stood aside and let foolish eunuch take her away once again when he actually had a chance of winning her heart. That boy never seemed to realize exactly what kind of treasure he had, and Captain Jack Sparrow was a pirate at heart, and would therefore chase after the treasure and seize it as his own if the opportunity presented itself. And as of that moment, it had presented itself, and most gloriously too, if he could say so himself.

In fact, as he glanced at Elizabeth's darting form once again, he realized that he could have a great deal of fun if he played his cards right, and if possible, his grin widened even more.

Despite everything that had occurred, it was a good night, and while Jack had only three days to fulfill his debt to Davy Jones, his grim demeanor had suddenly transformed into a mischievous and plotting demeanor.

Oh yes, the next few days were going to be enjoyable indeed!

* * *

Will breathed a sigh of relief as he slowly crept out of Davy Jones' room, thankful that his jarring the organ had not been enough to awaken the monstrous captain. Even in his reckless state, he had to admit that his plan, though effective, had been quite narrow, and that he was actually lucky to have executed it smoothly. He had the key to the chest; all he had to do was find the chest now and free his father, and then he could return to Port Royal to marry Elizabeth.

Elizabeth.

Will suddenly stopped cold in his tracks as he recalled how he had left her fiancé trapped behind the bars of her prison. How she had smiled upon seeing him, had embraced him despite being caged, the sweet and hungry look on her face as she told him that if it hadn't been for the bars, she would have had him already (while Will enjoyed her comment, it did not credit to him whatsoever, for the Governor had been standing there, and hearing that from his daughter's mouth probably lessened the Governor's opinion of him). He could suddenly see her standing in front of him; her brown eyes alight with laughter and mischief, her long hair blowing in the wind.

He had not thought of her once after he learned he was to obtain the key, not once until now, and it scared him deeply. He had come on this foolhardy and ridiculous mission just to rescue her, and it shamed him to think that despite her plight in prison, he had not given a single thought to her until now. He was her fiancé! They had been on the verge of marriage until Beckett had rudely interrupted them! How could he have possibly not remembered her until this moment? True, he had undergone quite a bit on this tumultuous journey, what with trying to escape the Pelegostos, visiting Tia Dalma, being traded to Davy Jones by Jack in return for three days of freedom, and encountering his father. But really, to not remember the woman he loved when she was probably sitting in the gallows, patiently waiting for him, putting all her faith on him?

Will suddenly realized that while mulling over his thoughts, his father was probably standing outside, waiting for him, and that if he didn't leave soon, he would have no opportunity to leave the ship and escape Davy Jones' gaze. He convinced himself that as soon as his business with his father was over, he would take Jack's compass by force if the pirate didn't give it willingly, and would return to Beckett and free Elizabeth in time. But there were other matters on hand, and while Elizabeth was the most important person in his life, he could not just let his father stay on this ship and suffer for all eternity. He owed the man that much.

Still, as he ventured out from the depths of the ship and stepped onto the deck to see his father anxiously waiting for him, he could feel a twinge of guilt clawing at his heart. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of it and tell himself that what he was doing was right, and that Elizabeth would understand completely.

* * *

"Where is Captain Sparrow?" asked Elizabeth breathlessly, deciding that after her unsuccessful frantic search, it would probably be easier to just question the crew of their Captain's whereabouts. Currently, she was standing in front of Ragetti, and while she was not that fond of the one-eyed man, she had to admit that he was the lesser of two evils when compared to his friend Pintel.

"Why, the Cap'n is on the ship!" answered Ragetti. "I saw 'im there a few minutes ago, when we was trying to get them stupid goats to board the ship."

Elizabeth went pale upon hearing Ragetti's answer, and for a moment, she was certain that her heart had stopped beating.

He was on the ship.

Just where she was a few minutes ago, bickering with James.

And at their volume, it was probably impossible to have **not** heard what they had been saying.

"What's wrong Smith?" whispered James, having caught up to her after trying to chase after her, unable to read exactly where she was heading until she had reached the ship once again. However, before Elizabeth could even turn to him, Pintel suddenly dumped a goat in Norrington's arms with a grin.

"'Ello Commodore! Fancy you joining us! Come now, we don't 'ave all day! Help us load the cargo!" he demanded cheerfully, enjoying a bout of fun at the Commodore's expense, forcing James to leave Elizabeth behind as he carried the goat onto the ship, followed by Pintel and Ragetti's laughter upon seeing formerly regal man demoted to such a lowly status. However, Elizabeth remained rooted in spot, still trying to sift through the thoughts in her head, frantically calculating in her mind exactly how much Jack could've heard. She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the footsteps, and was blissfully unaware that someone was standing behind her until his voice rang out through the air.

"So, why is it that you're lookin' for me?"

* * *

**Insert evil grin here...of course I'd have to end the chapter there. I could've gone on longer, but my ten-page Microbiology paper is screaming my name, so there you have it.**

**Anyways, please review! I would appreciate it greatly, and would improve my mood seeing as I somehow have four papers and two presentations to give in the next two weeks...**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean, although if I was a pirate, I would steal the rights to the movie...  
Ragetti: Stealing is wrong! It says so in the divine providence!  
MidnightDreamer1988: Yes, but it's not so much as stealing as removing a temptation from the world...**

**Anyways, I'm finally back! I had 4 in class exams, one take home exam, and one presentation, and then right after that, my graduation ceremony! I'm officially a college alumnus, even though I'm staying for one more year to finish a master's of arts in biochemistry. However, my euphoria is short-lived, because now I have to take the MCATs in a week. I took a quick break to write up this chapter though, because I just had the sudden urge!**

**Also, as soon as MCATs are over, I'll be posting my webpage with my original stories on it!**

**But enough about me! Onwards we go the story!**

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******Come To Join Me Crew Lad?**

_Chapter Two: In Which Elizabeth States Her Purpose To Jack Sparrow_

* * *

Elizabeth remained in her frozen state, uncertain of what her next course of action should be. After all, Pintel and Ragetti had just informed her that Jack had been on the ship, exactly where she and James had been bickering a few minutes ago, during which James had addressed her as "Elizabeth" rather than "Edward", the man she was supposed to be in Jack's eyes. Had Jack managed to see through her weak disguise and discover that she was indeed Elizabeth Swann?

She knew she must seem like an idiot, frozen in spot as her mind frantically worked in overdrive to determine what a suitable answer to Jack's question could be. She certainly didn't want to play the role of the ship's fool by keeping silent for so long (Pintel and Ragetti were adequate for the job, and she did not intend to join their ranks), but what exactly could she say? She had no way of gauging which response would be best unless she knew whether Jack knew the truth about her, or was still fooled by her disguise.

"You're not deaf, are you lad? I believe I just asked you a question, and questions are typically followed by answers. So why is it that you are looking for me?" repeated Jack, a hint of impatience lacing his voice.

Elizabeth's pounding heart slowly began to cease its rapid beat as relief washed over her. Jack clearly thought she was still Edward Smith if his "lad" was any indication. However, that didn't solve the problem of how she was to ask about Will's whereabouts as her alias. How could sailor Edward Smith in Tortuga know a blacksmith in Port Royal, let alone a blacksmith who had started out as a mere apprentice and had just recently been recognized for his superior work?

Elizabeth's mind suddenly came to a screeching halt. Will had started out as a blacksmith's apprentice…so why couldn't Edward be Will's apprentice? That way, Edward would be acquainted with both Will and herself! It was an ingenious plan!

Elizabeth whirled around, coming face to face with Jack, desperately trying to calm her nerves as she stared Jack in the eyes.

"I'm looking for William Turner," she replied firmly, thankful that at least one thing she had said today was not a lie. "I was told that he aboard the Black Pearl, but I have yet to see him among your crew."

"And why would a fine lad like you be looking for William?" asked Jack curiously. "William seems to be a grown man, doesn't need someone trailing behind him…unless…"

Jack stepped up closer to Elizabeth, as if to intimidate her, and despite her body wanting to back away from him, she remained rooted in spot, attempting to be unaffected by his extremely close presence. He gazed deeply into her eyes, his face perfectly serious, and Elizabeth shook slightly. Had Jack actually seen straight through her disguise?

"Are you wishing to rescue William so that he will abandon his fiancée and become your lover?"

Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock at Jack's scandalous idea until she noticed the glint of humor that shone in his black eyes, and her eyes immediately drew together, full of fire and fury as she took a couple of deep breaths, trying to placate her temper. Good god, Jack was always infuriating! In addition, it didn't help that his telltale smirk was starting to surface on his face, giving her the strongest urge to punch him and wipe that smug smile off his face.

"No, my tastes lie in women, not in men," replied Elizabeth in a clipped voice, lying through her teeth. "I am his apprentice from Port Royal, and I am well acquainted with both him and his fiancée Miss Swann.

"A blacksmith's apprentice!" echoed Jack with a small laugh. "Do tell me, are you like your teacher? Do you also make and practice with swords three hours a day because you are in love with a girl and are incapable of wooing said strumpet?"

"No, but that's far from the subject!" exclaimed Elizabeth with a hint of annoyance, suddenly realizing exactly what William had meant about Jack being rather infuriating. As a woman, she had been on the end of Jack's flirtations, but men were probably the source of his jokes, and for the first time, she was thankful that she had been a woman when she had met Jack, for if this was how he normally talked to men, she would have gone crazy. "I need to find the whereabouts of William Turner! What does that have to do with my preferences or attachment to anyone of the opposite gender?"

"Nothing at all mate" replied Jack with a grin. "However, I am curious as to why you are so intent on finding dear William. Surely you have learned enough to start your own trade, so why the need to find your beloved teacher?"

Elizabeth felt a sting of disappointment rise within her. The way Jack was going about, it was as if Will had never informed him that she was in the gallows, patiently awaiting Will's return. Had Will never mentioned to Jack that she was in danger of the same fate Jack had almost been through – death by hanging? Or was this just another one of Jack's insensible plots and games?

* * *

Jack's grin grew wider as he saw a twinge of disappointment flicker in Elizabeth's eyes. He knew exactly why she was so intent on finding William, and he knew exactly why the whelp had arrived on his ship (after all, his first words had been "Elizabeth is in danger" when Jack was finally reunited with the Pearl after the unpleasant Pelegostos incident). He was just having fun toying with her, seeing that his meeting her was the most fun he was having after the unpleasant black spot incident with Bootstrap and Jones. However, as he watched Elizabeth's every emotion, it suddenly dawned upon him that she was starting to think that the whelp had not informed him of the gravity of the situation.

Well, if she thought of her dear William that way, then all the better for him…

"Captain Sparrow…do you really not know what has happened in Port Royal?" asked Elizabeth softly, her eyes softly pleading, hopeful that he indeed knew and was simply toying with her. Jack felt guilt tug his conscience slightly.

But only slightly. He was, after all, first and foremost a pirate.

"No mate, not at all…the whelp simply arrived on my ship and informed me that he required my compass. Didn't give me any reasons as to why my compass was needed," answered Jack with a nonchalant shrug, his eyes glinting with traces of humor, both surprise and amused by the fact that Elizabeth was trusting him so blindly. His guilt surfaced again, but he pushed it away hurriedly and returned to his conversation with Elizabeth. "Care to elaborate on his abrupt arrival aboard the Pearl?"

"Captain Sparrow," Elizabeth trailed off and glanced away, and for a moment, Jack wondered whether her ruse would drop in the face of her depression. However, when her gaze returned to his, there was no sign of tears, although her facial muscles were a bit tense, and he grinned slightly. Elizabeth was a strong woman indeed, the kind that was more valuable than any treasure on the planet.

The kind of woman that did not belong to whelps, so therefore, Jack was doing a rather honorable thing really, freeing her from William's clutches.

"Miss Swann is in the gallows currently," continued Elizabeth, clenching her teeth slightly. "She is bound to hang for assisting you in your escape. Mister Turner was supposed to fetch your compass to barter for her freedom."

"Was he now?" answered Jack in mock surprise. "Never made any mention that Lizzie's freedom was at stake!" He grinned as he saw Elizabeth raise an eyebrow slightly upon hearing his nickname for her, but continued speaking as if he had not been paying attention to her facial features. "However, I am terribly sorry to inform you that William has been press-ganged into Davy Jones' crew during his short stay on the Pearl."

"Davy Jones?" Elizabeth repeated incredulously. "Are you telling me the truth Captain Sparrow?"  
Jack's grin grew wider. It wasn't everyday that Elizabeth called him 'Captain'. Most of the times, she referred to him as 'Jack' or 'pirate', but to hear her call him 'Captain' (even in her somewhat poorly disguised voice) was…enthralling really. "Yes mate, I am quite sure," replied Jack, widening his eyes slightly to feign innocence. "I was there meself, as it were. Tried to stop Jones, even tried to mention your teacher's fiancé to sway Jones, but sadly, he could not be persuaded."

"So that's it?" muttered Elizabeth, her eyes starting to burn with fury. "You're going to sail away and abandon your friend when he needs you the most?"

"Of course not, and that's where you come in mate!" exclaimed Jack with a triumphant grin, reaching to his side and yanking his compass off the string before yanking Elizabeth's hand up and pressing the compass into her hand. "You see, out there be an island, Isla Cruces, and on the island, there be a chest."

"A chest that contains the still-beating heart of Davy Jones!" cried out Pintel from behind them with a laugh as he and Ragetti passed by, carrying a large chest of supplies. Ragetti imitated the beating of a heart with both sound and his fist clenching and unclenching, causing Elizabeth to wrinkle her nose in annoyance at their display.

"Yes, yes, thank you for the wonderful demonstration," muttered Jack impatiently, brushing them away and turning his gaze to Elizabeth once again. "As I was saying, that chest contains the heart of Davy Jones, and the one that controls the heart, controls Jones, and if we can control Jones-"

"Then we can save Will!" replied Elizabeth excitedly. Jack's eyes glinted with humor as he noted that Elizabeth had forgotten to address Will as 'Mister Turner', but now was not the time to expose her.

After all, he hadn't even had any fun with her ruse yet, and she had been putting so much effort into it, so he might as well entertain her for some time.

"Exactly!" answered Jack with a smile. Elizabeth began to smile too, but it suddenly faded.

"How are we going to find this chest?" inquired Elizabeth curiously. "I hardly think Davy Jones is fool enough to place his chest on an island whose bearings are known by all."

"Of course not!" agreed Jack, his hand digging into his vest to withdraw his trusty compass. "You see this compass? This compass is special."

"Special having the meaning of broken," muttered James sarcastically, abruptly joining the conversation. "Please don't tell me you're willing to believe this fool Smith."

"What are you still doing here?" asked Jack in annoyance, wondering exactly how many people were going to interrupt his conversation with Elizabeth, and also curious as to why a man whom had just tried to kill him was standing at the dock without aiming a pistol at him.

"You hired me," reminded James with a sneer. "I can't help it if your standards are lax."

"You smell funny!" retorted Jack, not to be outdone.

"Enough," interrupted Elizabeth quickly. "You were saying Captain Sparrow?"

"Ah yes," said Jack, returning his gaze to Elizabeth. "As I was saying before the smelly Commodore interrupted-"

"Former commodore thanks to you," snapped James angrily. "Thank you ever so much for reminding me."

"You know, as a new crew member, I can make you walk the plank," retorted an extremely irritated Jack. He quickly turned to Elizabeth to resume the conversation. "It's true that this compass does not point north. Instead, it points to the thing that the bearer of the compass desires the most."

"Oh please!" scoffed James, pushing himself away from the railing. "Smith, do tell me you don't believe this trash!"

"I have a suggestion," replied Jack smoothly, starting to get extremely tired of James' interventions. "Why don't you go off to the ship and help load cargo? I believed the belligerent homunculus and his one-eyed friend would be thrilled to reunite with you."

"We already reunited," answered James in a clipped voice.

"Do some more reuniting!" exclaimed Jack, pushing James towards the dock before returning to Elizabeth, who was still holding the compass, a dubious expression on her face.

"So what is it you want the most lad?" asked Jack in an ominous tone.

"I want to find Mister William Turner," Elizabeth replied firmly.

Jack squinted his eyes slightly. "Mate, are you sure you're only interested in women? Because you seem to have an unhealthy obsession with your teacher, even if you are an apprentice."

Jack's amusement only increased as he watched Elizabeth's eyes narrow and her teeth clench. "I am perfectly normal. I want Mister Turner to return for the sake of Miss Swann. I visited her in the gallows and she wishes for Mister Turner to come to Port Royal safe and sound so that he may rescue her."

"How much has your dear Miss Swann told you about her past encounters with pirates?" asked Jack abruptly.

Elizabeth's eyes clouded slightly with confusion at this abrupt turn in the conversation. "She's told me all about her past encounters, about Barbossa and his cursed crew, the Isla de Muerta, and the Aztec gold. But why the sudden question?"

"Because you said that she wishes for her dear William to return to Port Royal to rescue her," replied Jack with a grin. "However, even an outsider like you must have gleaned from the adventures one very important fact."

"What's that?"

"That while dear William rescued her once, during her escape from the Isla de Muerta, I rescued her three times – when she was drowning in Port Royal due to a tightly-laced corset, when I boarded the Black Pearl and prevented someone from attacking her from behind, and when Barbossa was about to shoot her on the Isla de Muerta. My three rescues to the whelp's one rescue," Jack pointed out evenly, holding up his fingers to indicate the difference. "And guess what? Her fiancé is once again in danger, and she is in the gallows. By rescuing her fiancé and giving him my compass, I will be, once again, indirectly rescuing her. That makes it four to one."

"I see your point." Jack's grin grew wider as he noted exactly how cold and short the response was; he knew very well that he had hit a nerve in Elizabeth. "But exactly why are you telling me this?"

"Oh, something to relay to Lizzie once the adventure ends," replied Jack offhandedly with a smirk. "But back to our original task. You wish to find William so that he can rescue Lizzie and live in wedded bliss. However, seeing as the whelp is currently on Jones' crew, your desire should be to find the chest of Davy Jones."

"To save Mister Turner!" corrected Elizabeth.

"By finding the chest of Davy Jones," completed Jack, trying to reassure her that rescuing the whelp was still the motive force for finding the chest. He quickly opened the compass and ducked, not wishing to influence it with his proximity. Elizabeth stared at the compass intently for a few seconds and her eyes widened ever so slightly, which Jack took as a sign of the compass needle finally halting. He slowly rose from his position and once he was eye level with the compass, noted the direction in which the needle was firmly and unmistakably pointing.

"Mister Gibbs!" Jack called out quickly.

"Cap'n!" answered Gibbs, coming towards the pair quickly. Jack turned to Gibbs with a grin.

"We have our heading," replied Jack triumphantly, pointing in the direction the needle of the compass was currently pointing. Gibbs broke out into a grin.

"Finally!" declared Gibbs, rushing off to the deck to give orders to the crew. "Cast off those lines, weigh anchor, and prow that canvas!"

Jack gave Elizabeth a quick grin. "Welcome to the crew lad…or shall we say Smithy? I like the sound of that."

Elizabeth shot him a withering glance that only made him grin wider as he sauntered off onto his ship, thinking of all the fun he could have with an Elizabeth in disguise.

* * *

******And so, after about fifteen pages of writing, the story finally departs from Tortuga...  
Oh, I'm going to have so much fun with this...but of course, I need your feedback! Please review!  
**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean is not mine, although I wouldn't mind owning it...  
Pintel: C'mere poppet...  
MidnightDreamer1988: On second thought, I think I'm alright not owning it**

**Thank you all for such wonderful reviews, and I'm sorry for the late update! Apparently, summer has lost all meaning and has simply become an endless field of research...so much for free time...In addition, I promised one of my friends a story, and I'm writing my two original ones at the moment (I'm praying that I don't get another idea for an original story, otherwise, I have to juggle three stories, and that's no picnic).**

**Also, remember how I said last chapter that we're finally leaving Tortuga...well, we didn't...sorry! I swear that by the end of this chapter, the ship will leave Tortuga!**

**That said, read on! Cheers!  
**

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******Come To Join Me Crew Lad?  
**_  
__Chapter Three: In which Jack starts a conversation about a dress which eventually turns into indirect flirtation_

* * *

Elizabeth gave a sigh of relief as Jack stepped onto the boarding dock and disappeared on the deck of his ship. Their conversation had been agony for her, especially since there were times she almost felt like Jack had seen straight through her disguise. However, her fear had dissipated as the conversation had taken its course, for she knew that Jack would've taken pleasure in revealing her, and he had not done so, which obviously meant that he had accepted her as Edward Smith. She could now rest at ease and focus her attentions on saving Will rather than having to repel Jack Sparrow's flirtations that she would have had to endure had she not disguised herself (However, she was not entirely pleased with how many remarks had been made about eunuchs and men loving men. She would have preferred to avoid those matters altogether).

She glanced out towards the darkened horizon, and into the sky above decorated with a streak of stars twinkling merrily. Will was out there somewhere, bound to the ship of Davy Jones, a legend she had not thought actually existed. She had merely assumed that Davy Jones was just another metaphor for the sea. However, she had also assumed that Barbossa had been talking of a ghost story when he informed her about his curse, and look how true that turned out to be! Perhaps she needed to put a bit more stock and trust into the legends rather than dismissing them right away…at least, if not all legends, then the ones Jack Sparrow managed to become entangled in. It seemed to her that no legend she had read or heard about was true until Jack Sparrow vouched for it, or became involved in it in some particular manner.

But now was not the time to think about Jack Sparrow or his legend. Elizabeth lifted the compass to her eyes yet again, staring at the needle which was firmly pointing in the direction it had been pointing to before, and then stared out into that direction. She needed to focus on the compass so that she could find Isla Cruces, and then use Davy Jones' heart to barter for Will's safety so that she and Will could finally marry.

The word 'marriage' seemed so awkward on her tongue. She adored Will, and desperately wanted to feel his body against hers, marking her as his forever, but as soon as the Barbossa incident was over, and Jack Sparrow had escaped yet again, he had respectfully proposed to her and had even asked her father for her hand in marriage. And thanks to his respectful nature, he refrained from kissing her during their engagement period, only going so far as to hold her in his arms. She had made a few advances, tried to induce a wild passion in him, the same wild passion that engulfed her at times, but he had politely refused her, and instead reminded her that only a few months remained before their marriage, the proper time for such intimacies. Elizabeth had laughed when he had told her that, and had mocked herself for being impatient, causing him to chuckle and declare that her impatience was just one of the many reasons he loved her, but deep down in her heart, a sharp pang of pain pierced her. If they loved each other, then what was the harm in engaging in passionate activities? Why did he instead choose to refuse her repeatedly? His refusal had done nothing to satiate her desires, for here she was in Tortuga, unmarried and unsatisfied.

"Smith! We'll be taking off soon, so best come on board now!" called out Gibbs, interrupting Elizabeth's train of thought. Perhaps it was just as well, for the more Elizabeth dwelled upon these matters, the unhappier she became, and it would not bode well if she could not focus on the present situation rather than issues of the past. Elizabeth gave a nod towards Gibbs, acknowledging that she had heard him, and made her way up the boarding dock, her footsteps resonating as her heavy boots plodded up. As she ascended, she gave a careless glance towards the left, where the tavern stood, only to have her heart freeze in fear.

There was the Captain Bellamy of the merchant ship Edinburgh, the ship upon which she had been a stowaway, walking deftly towards the tavern, a dress draped across his arm. Her wedding dress, to be exact, the very one she had discarded for her current men's garb, the last memory of her would-be wedding with Will. She quickly scanned the Pearl's crew members, making sure that no one had taken notice of such finery in Tortuga, which was, to put it simply, a dump. To have her extravagant and expensive wedding dress draped on the arm of a scraggly tradesman was extremely suspicious, and if no one on the Pearl noticed, then there would be no suspicions cast about. As she glanced in every direction on the deck of the Pearl, she suddenly realized that her heart had probably skipped a beat earlier, but **now** it was frozen for sure

Jack's eyes were locked onto her wedding dress as it made its way to the tavern.

* * *

Will was slightly out of breath as his father urgently indicated for him to leave the depths of the ship and come aboard the deck. He knew it was only a matter of time before Davy Jones discovered that the key was missing, and that it was necessary for him to leave the ship immediately. But when stared at his father Bootstrap's figure urging him to hurry in the doorway, he suddenly wished that these few minutes he had left on this ship would last forever. Years of living without a father had hardened the little boy's heart that he had once harbored in his chest. However, seeing him stand in front of him, the utmost care and concern reflected in his eyes, broke through the wall and unleashed the feelings of the child inside him, the little boy he had tried to suppress in the face of his circumstances.

Despite the years of separation and his previous anger at his father for abandoning him when he was simply a child to lead a life of piracy, staring at him now, he did not want to leave the man's side. All Bootstrap had done in the past paled in comparison to the sacrifice he had just made – he had, for the sake of his son, condemned himself to an eternity of servitude on the Flying Dutchman. He had placed himself under the command of a man made mad with love, and was now doomed to sail on a ship on which the soul was miserable, and the flesh was rotting or sprouting salty overgrowth from the seas. And Will, despite his previous anger, would never forget this act of kindness, this loving sacrifice made by his own father.

He could not leave him here, doomed to sail under the command of Davy Jones for all eternity. He could not leave this man, the father that had done so much for him, alone in his servitude, with only memories of a past life and a brief meeting with his son to sustain him.

He stepped out onto the deck, leaving behind a haunting melody from the heart-shaped locket that Davy Jones had set out on his organ. The wind chilled his bones, calling upon his strength and endurance to keep his teeth from chattering. Bootstrap's eyes fell upon him curiously, and his previously dim orbs sparkled slightly with satisfaction as he saw the key to Davy Jones' heart secure in Will's hand. However, he did not smile, and instead, with an air of urgency, pressed his own knife into Will's hand.

"Here, take this too," he murmured in his hoarse voice, made rough by the salty seawater and air he had been exposed to for all these years. "Now get yourself to land and stay there. Davy Jones can only make port every ten years, so you'll be safe on land."

Will was not entirely sure about this statement when he suddenly recalled the jar of dirt that Tia Dalma had handed to Jack in her eerie cabin. When Jack had given her a questioning glance about the nature of her assistance to him, she had replied, "Land is where you are safe Jack Sparrow, so you will carry land with you." Upon recalling those words, he decided that perhaps his father's advice was quite sound and should be heeded.

"William, hurry up and go!" repeated his father urgently, furtively glancing at the doorway in fear that Davy Jones would discover the key to be missing all too soon. "You don't have much time until Jones awakens! Now go!"

"What about you?" demanded Will suddenly, his eyes boring into the eyes of his father, the very eyes he had inherited. "What shall become of you when I leave?"

Bootstrap shook his head slightly. "It was always my blood to die at sea, but it was not a fate I ever wanted for you."

"It's not a fate you had to choose for yourself either," countered Will softly.

Bootstrap gave a sigh as he walked towards the railing of the ship, Will following right behind him. "I could say that I did what I had to when I left you go pirating," he answered quietly, his eyes cast downward slightly in guilt. "But it would be a lie to say it wasn't what I wanted. Do not tarry for the sake of me Will. You know my selfish reasons for leaving you behind, and even though I'm by your side now, these deeds do not make up for my past wrongdoings to you. You owe me nothing Will. Now go."

"They'll know you helped me," argued Will quickly, not about to let his father give up and wallow in the guilt of his past deeds, not when he had made so many sacrifices for him in such a short period. "You won't be safe here."

Bootstrap's hollow laugh echoed in the gusts of wind, and Will's blood ran to ice, for although his father was laughing, it was a doomed, empty laugh, one that did not reach his eyes, one that brought him no pleasure. "What more can they do to me?" asked Bootstrap with a harsh smile. "They've done the worst they can to me, it's not like I can suffer any more than I already have at this point! Leave William, and give up on me. I already told you that with every day of servitude on the Dutchman, you lose a piece of your soul, and I've lost most of mine now. There is not point in trying to save a doomed and soulless man."

Will's eyes flared with anger, his fingers clenching the knife tightly, causing his knuckles to turn white. Years on the Dutchman had caused his father to lose all hope, to give in without a fight, creating a melancholy man, a good man who was doomed to spend eternity in servitude. However, Will was not bound to the Dutchman in any way, and now, he had the key to destroying Jones and freeing his father, and was not about to hand over the key to Jack Sparrow, who would, no doubt, use the key simply for bartering his way out of the fate he himself chose!

"I take this with a promise," declared Will firmly, raising the knife in his hands parallel to his father's line of sight, making sure that their identical eyes met so that his father could see the strength and power in his oath. "I will find a way to sever Jones' hold on you and will not rest until this blade pierces his heart. I will not abandon you. I promise."

Without another word, Will turned away from his father, effectively ending the conversation as he climbed over the railing and descended the ship, his uttered promise the only ambition in his mind as he sat in the longboat and began to row away from the Flying Dutchman.

* * *

"That's interesting," murmured Jack with mild amusement, staring at the extravagant finery that was draped across the arm of a merchant sailor. However, no sailor, not even a merchant sailor, could afford such a dress, and how he had come upon it was a complete mystery. Jack shrugged his shoulders and decided walk away from the railing and the sight altogether, seeing as he had better matters on his mind. For instance, while he now had a bearing to Isla Cruces, he still needed to reach the island in his allotted three days, and he didn't have the slightest clue of where on the island the chest might be (nor did he have a key for the chest at this moment, but that was an entirely different story). However, he took only a single step away from the railing before his head snapped back to the direction of the tavern door, this time carefully observing the dress he had just seen.

It was really too pretty for a sailor, but what struck him was that he had seen dresses of a similar style and extravagance. In fact, he had seen this sort of dress twice – once when he first entered Port Royal, where he had to save a pretty, fiery, rum-burning damsel in distress from drowning, and then at his own failed hanging, where the same damsel stood between him, Turner, and the British navy, thus enabling him an easy escape.

Elizabeth.

He heard quick-paced footsteps behind him, almost panicked footsteps really, and a grin surfaced across his face. They were too light footed to be anyone but her, and no doubt she was terrified about that dress he had just seen. He quickly composed himself and turned to meet Elizabeth's frightened eyes, although she immediately shielded her gaze, probably attempting to make sure she didn't give away any of her emotions.

"Hello Smithy," Jack greeted her cheerfully, swaying slightly as he pulled away from the railing. "Just looking at that pretty dress that just walked into the tavern. Did you happen to see it?"

"Dresses don't walk into taverns by themselves," replied Elizabeth with an arch of her eyebrow, but despite her composed answer, Jack could still sense a hint of fear, and while Jack dearly wanted to comment that the dress looked very similar to those she had worn previously in front of him, he decided to take the conversation into a different direction. After all, when he had first spotted her dress, her expression had been akin to that of a frightened rabbit, and he didn't want to give her any reason to believe that he could see through her disguise.

"They do when they're draped on the arms of men," countered Jack with a smirk. "Of course, looking at you, I highly doubt you've had the opportunity."

Elizabeth flushed, and Jack knew very well that it wasn't with anger, but with embarrassment. However, his Lizzie was never one to keep an argument hanging, and so she kept the conversation going.

"And you've had many opportunities despite being at sea for long periods of time?" asked Elizabeth haughtily, a scowl spreading across her face in place of the previous redness.

"Why of course Smithy! I have a tremendous intuitive sense of female creature, which makes me popular with the women!" answered Jack with a triumphant grin. "Maybe I'll teach you a few tricks of the trade, although I'm confident you'll never master them as well as I have."

Elizabeth turned red yet again, but still she did not deter from their argument. "If you have such tremendous intuitive sense of female creature, then why is it that every woman you have been with has slapped you at least once?"

"Trifles," replied Jack, still grinning. "Besides, I can name one fair damsel who has yet to slap me."

"You mean there's a woman who hasn't been appalled by your flirtations and your lack of personal hygiene, honor, decency, and moral center?" exclaimed Elizabeth in surprise. "Do tell the name of such a tolerant woman."

Jack smiled and stepped towards Elizabeth, tipping his head slightly. "Lizzie."

Elizabeth's eyes widened in realization, and Jack almost laughed upon seeing the expression on her face. She had no doubt forgotten that while he had infuriated her multiple times, she had never slapped him. She was about to open her mouth again when Jack quickly swooped in and took hold of their argument (discussion really) once again.

"Lizzie and I are alike, she and I, and she knows it," whispered Jack triumphantly, carefully gazing into Elizabeth's eyes, trying to gauge her emotions. "She longs for freedom, and in this whole world, I'm the only one who can give her the freedom she longs for, the only man who can satiate her curiosity. So when this whole adventure is over, and you and your teacher rescue fair Lizzie, do relay my message to her, savvy?"

Jack shot one last grin before walking away, but before he was out of range, he heard her voice call out behind him.

"Miss Swann may have never slapped you Captain Sparrow, but she certainly did punish you once, a punishment more severe than a mere slap!"

Jack swiveled around and walked back towards Elizabeth, a curious look on his face. "And how did Miss Swann punish me despite the fact that I deserved no punishment whatsoever?"

"I'm quite sure you deserved the punishment," replied Elizabeth with a coy smile that made Jack want to seize her right then and kiss her fully on the lips, but instead, he had to flex his fingers as an outlet for his desire. "And as for what the punishment was, well, she burned your rum with a smile on her face."

Jack swallowed convulsively as he shut his eyes and remembered the horrific day where he had awoken only to see a tower of smoke rising above an island, which, hours ago, had contained the most glorious rum. When he opened his eyes, he suddenly realized Elizabeth was gone, and quickly scanned the deck, only to see her slipping down the stairs, probably trying to avoid any further conversation. He shrugged and then sauntered towards the helm, his fingers stroking the pegs of the wheel before grasping them tightly as Gibbs quickly shouted out orders to the crew. Once the anchor was reeled in again, and the ropes tying the ship to the dock were severed, the sails and canvas were released, and the Black Pearl was finally sailing away from Tortuga.

Jack grinned as he stared out into the horizon. He had three perfect days with Lizzie, three days in which to turn her against the whelp completely and somehow make her his, and three days in which he could tease and torment her while she remained in her guise of a boy. He shut his eyes briefly as he imagined all the wonderful opportunities that lay ahead of him. However, his eyes suddenly shot open.

Lizzie had gone below deck…

Below deck was where the hold was…

The hold had all the rum…

And Jack, like a fool, had teased her enough so that she might feel that her previous form of punishment needed to be repeated.

"Gibbs!" commanded Jack. "Secure the rum!"

* * *

******  
Alright, so now we've left Tortuga, and now the fun begins!**

******Please review and provide me feedback! Seriously, your reviews might be the only fun ray of sunshine in my bleak, research cubicle life :D.**

* * *


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean is not mine. If it was, I would have replaced the peanut with a pistachio.  
Jack: Luv, isn't that a trivial matter?  
****MidnightDreamer1988: Not really...I despise peanuts.**

**Sigh...I know I haven't updated in two years, but let's just say that LIFE happened. Anyways, I found this chapter while cleaning out my hard drive, and it's the last written out chapter I had (that isn't saying much, huh?). I kind of feel motivated to start up this story again, but my mind tends to hop, so hopefully this time, I'll be able to stick to this story long enough to finish it...**

**That being said, a hearty thank you to all of you that have reviewed so far (especially if I didn't thank you personally), and perhaps I might still have a following of readers who will bother to read this :). But sincerely, thank you to anyone who has read and reviewed the story. The reviews really perked me up, and I hope that should I continue this story further (keep your fingers crossed), you'll continue to support, encourage, (and perhaps criticize) me.**

**So here we go!**

**

* * *

**

**Come To Join Me Crew Lad?**

_In which Elizabeth decides whom to trust in the matter of saving Will, James discovers the dark side of ambition, and Jack's thoughts are…well, simply all over the place_

_

* * *

_

As Jack bellowed for Gibbs to secure the rum, Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh softly at the sheer terror she could hear in Jack's voice. He had been in so many dangerous situations, yet today had been the only time she had heard the slightest of tremors in his voice. Strange what rum could do to that man…

However, out of kindness (and perhaps pity as well), Elizabeth steered clear of the hold and made her way to the sleeping quarters, only to discover that the sleeping quarters entailed either the floor, which was extremely dirty and questionable, or the few hammocks that were strung about. She shut her eyes tightly and desperately prayed that she would not have to be one of the unfortunate crewmembers that had to make do with a piece of floor. Granted, it would probably be somewhat soft, because it most certainly felt like her boots were slightly sinking into the floor, but she did not want to spend her nights on the ship wondering exactly what it was that made the floor she was sleeping upon softer than wood was meant to be.

"Smith!"

Elizabeth whirled around to see James beckoning to her from the corner of the room, and she immediately walked towards him to see that he had thankfully staked the corner as theirs and had set up two hammocks. She glanced at him gratefully, but before she could utter a word, James chuckled.

"Don't say a word. There is enough gratitude in your eyes that words would simply ruin the effect of your deepest thanks," James joked, a small smile gracing his face. "No doubt you too were somewhat apprehensive about the wooden floors."

Elizabeth laughed, pitching her voice a bit lower to make sure that the laugh didn't sound too feminine, and then shed her coat happily, for it was extremely hot below deck. She wasn't too worried about the loss of her coat, and her shirt and vest were baggy enough to hide the female attributes of her figure. After all, she had spent a few days and nights on the _Endeavor_, and had managed to avoid being noticed. She balled the coat into a makeshift pillow and then hopped into her hammock, pulling the hat over her eyes so that darkness and sleep would overcome her.

"Goodnight James," she murmured softly, her eyes fluttering to a close.

"It would do you well to call me by my last name. Goodnight Smith." James too, climbed into his hammock and within minutes, had fallen fast asleep.

* * *

An hour later, Elizabeth was frustrated, exasperated, annoyed, aggravated, irritated, and many other such synonyms. Despite her best efforts, the past hour brought no sleep whatsoever. She had done everything humanly possible, which included counting to high numbers, imagining (or perhaps daydreaming of) soft luxurious beds, and even trying to remember the most banal and mundane societal edicts in all history, but was unable to fall asleep. It really was an unprecedented event; every other time she had reviewed all the edicts of etiquette for women of breeding, she had managed to go into a rock-like sleeping state.

After a few more minutes of trying to will herself to sleep, she finally sat up, rolled her eyes at her own inability to fall asleep, grabbed her hat, and immediately hopped out of the hammock. Once she was quite sure that nothing seemed amiss about her appearance, she maneuvered around all the men and headed up the rickety wooden stairs. Halfway up though, she felt something banging against her hip and reached down to find the compass, which had been strung from her belt securing her breeches. She stared at it for a moment and then ascended the stairs once again, breathing in the fresh salty air that invaded her nostrils upon reaching the deck.

She was back on sea…after two long years of dreaming of the adventures she had with Jack and Will, after being cooped up in a society where only money, breeding, and etiquette mattered, she was finally back in the one place where she was free. There was no one to remind her that she was a governor's daughter, a proper woman of breeding (especially not with her cross-dressing), she was just herself, just Elizabeth Swann (or Edward Smith, it didn't really matter, seeing as they were the same person), and nothing else.

After years of being know as Miss Swann, Governor Swann's young and impetuous daughter, it was quite a relief to escape from all those rules and titles.

Elizabeth smiled and reveled in her solitude for a few minutes as she made her way to the mast and leaned against it, sliding her back down until she was seated on the wooden deck. The stars were gorgeous tonight, twinkling brightly and clearly, for there were no clouds to mar the pure light that shone from them. She gazed at them fondly, but moments later, her own worries began to claw at her heart again. Despite her freedom at sea, she and Will were still wanted fugitives.

Even if Will wasn't a fugitive, he was still in trouble, wasn't he? He was in terrible danger, what with being press-ganged into Davy Jones' crew! And through some strange circumstance, it was only she that could save him, only she that had the strongest desire to save Will, and therefore had the strongest desire to find Davy Jones' beating heart. Sure, the scheme seemed rather strange, but then again, everything associated with Jack Sparrow had a bizarre or peculiar undertone and overtone, so was it really any surprise that this Jack-concocted scheme seemed so odd?

And what about what James had said? In a way, James was perfectly correct – Jack could be incredibly selfish, sometimes even malicious, a pirate of the worst sorts, a man not to be trusted – yet he had come through for Elizabeth each time they had faced danger. She knew that beneath the layers of kohl, sweat, grime, and probably unwashed clothes, there was a good man with a heart of gold beating under his skin. He claimed to be a pirate, a man with the worst intentions that were only sung in pirate ditties, yet there was a quality about him that didn't quite fit the visage of a cold-hearted pirate.

Both men could not be right…but exactly who was she to trust? Both James and Jack were hidden under the layers society had endowed upon them, yet she knew them both well enough to know that the true men were hiding beneath all those layers, all the false titles and rumors. One claimed the heart was the best way to go, the other claimed the heart was a rubbish folktale. She had to admit, the story sounded so unbelievably unreal, yet then again, had she not once said that she didn't believe in ghost stories, only to find herself trapped in one? Both men were dear friends to her, but they were enemies of each other, and she had to choose between one of them, had to place all her faith in one of the two good men.

For Will's sake.

She stared at the compass, her eyes boring into the design etched into the wood, before she finally yanked the lid off and watched the arrow spin and wobble until it pointed firmly in a direction ahead of them, the very direction the ship was heading at that moment. She gazed at the arrow for a few minutes and then snapped the compass shut, her decision made.

The arrow had pointed in the same direction as it had on the docks, and since the arrow echoed the desires of her heart, there was nothing else to do but follow the arrow. She silently apologized to James, because despite everything he had done for her, she was going to go against his advice and trust in Jack's scheme. That was the only thing she could do to save Will, to feel his strong arms embrace her once again, to feel his lips on her once again.

She shivered slightly as she imagined her soon-to-be husband by her side, and she could not discern whether it was the wind or the passion that induced her shiver.

* * *

James' initial reaction was sheer terror when his eyes scanned the hammock beside him only to realize that it was perfectly empty.

What had happened to Elizabeth? Surely he couldn't have failed to protect her so early into their journey, although she did seem to have a knack for getting herself involved in ridiculous schemes. First she got kidnapped by pirates, then tried to escape said pirates by allying with other pirates, was marooned on an island with a pirate, climbed down from the safe naval ship to assist a pirate, helped a pirate help a pirate escape a hanging, was soon to marry a pirate…

Looking back, he really should have realized that her obsession with pirates as a child would lead to a rather unhealthy (and unavoidably pirate-filled) future.

He eased himself out of his hammock and gingerly stepped around the grimy crewmembers that had strung up their own hammocks or had resorted to sleeping on the floor. Thanks to all his swordsmanship, his footwork was quite impeccable, and it only took a few moments for him to creep up the stairs and stop in his tracks once the deck was in sight.

There was Elizabeth, perfectly safe and intact, staring up at the stars above. While the expression on her face was troubled, the scene itself looked so peaceful that James was afraid of intruding on her thoughts and interrupting whatever it was that was troubling her. He had to remember that she was a young woman thrust into a strange situation, and that while she was incredibly strong, she had her weak moments too.

And while he would always be ready to offer her support, there were times where she just needed to be alone.

He carefully crept downstairs and navigated around the men, congratulating himself once again for making it through the snoring crowd perfectly when he suddenly stumbled, his own feet unable to provide balance. He winced and shut his eyes, ready to brace himself for the pained shouts and the harsh curses of the nearby pirates, but all he felt was something suspending him in the air. He opened his eyes to see himself sprawled over Elizabeth's hammock.

Perhaps it was a good thing she was not in her hammock at the time. He managed to disengage himself from the cloth, but knocked her coat down in the process. With a sigh, he kneeled down to gather up the folds of the coat, and was ready to toss it back onto the hammock when a pristine sealed envelope lying on the most questionable floor of all history caught his eye. He stared at the letter and then at Elizabeth's coat, confident that she had been toting the letter around all this time. He picked up the envelope, ready to tuck it back into her coat pocket, when the seal suddenly caused him to fall into his own hammock in a daze

What on Earth was she doing with an envelope that had been sealed by the Royal British Navy? The image of the seal was perfectly ingrained into his head, for he had seen it countless times on his own paperwork, but Elizabeth had no affiliation with the Royal British Navy whatsoever, so why was she bearing this envelope?

Curiosity overcame him, and before he knew it, he was sliding his finger under the seal, prying open the flap and spilling the papers out onto his lap. His jaw promptly dropped upon seeing Letters of Marque dancing in front of his eyes, reminding him of a time when he had power and dignity at his command, yet at the same time, taunting him about his terrible downfall and losses. He quickly perused the letters, trying to see whether they were counterfeit, but no, they bore the signature of the king, the signature of Lord Cutler Beckett, and the seal of the Royal British Navy.

And there was currently no name filled out in the blank which was supposed to state exactly who the letters were intended for. Elizabeth had mentioned that both she and Turner were being accused of crimes against the crown, and that her freedom lay in Turner handing Sparrow's compass to Beckett, but where did Turner's freedom lie? Was that why Elizabeth had procured papers – to guarantee Turner's safety? And if so, how did she manage such an indomitable task?

James slid the Letters of Marque back into their envelope and inserted the envelope into one of the many pockets of Elizabeth's jacket, making sure to ball up the jacket so that it looked undisturbed. However, for the rest of the night, James knew no peace, for there was a constant gnawing at his heart and conscience, a tiny little voice within him that was urging him, telling him, "There is no claim to the papers; just fill in your name, and your honor, dignity, and prestige will return to you! What's there to lose?"

And James couldn't honestly think of any losses that he would incur if he signed his name in the blank.

* * *

Over the many years he had been a pirate, Jack had come to discover that while flair and drama were indeed wonderful traits of any man, sometimes, the best disguise was simply silence and acting inconspicuous. Sure enough, in this case, the disguise worked beautifully. He had been standing at the wheel for some time now and from his post, he could look across to see Elizabeth staring out into the horizon and gazing at his compass, so engrossed with her thoughts that she had yet to notice an audience. He had even noticed the delightful Commodore troop up the stairs, stop in his tracks, and then retreat. No doubt Norrington was worried about Elizabeth's absence from the sleeping quarters.

Jack wasn't close enough to read the emotions on Elizabeth's face, but given his intuitive sense of discerning actions and determining the characters of people, she was no doubt wondering whether she should trust in him, or whether she should take the practical advice of Norrington. And all this thinking was for the sake of foolish William, a man who had not once taken the time to think about whether his actions would benefit his woman.

Well, time to put an end to all that useless thinking and utilize her mental effort for better purposes. Jack scanned his surroundings and successfully found Cotton sleeping nearby, so he silently shook Cotton awake, motioned to the ship's wheel, and left the navigation of the ship in Cotton's capable hands while he tiptoed towards Elizabeth's rigid figure.

"Bit late in the night to be thinking so deeply Smithy, eh?" His voice rung out authoritatively, and had the desired effect. He saw the tremor of surprise run through Elizabeth's shoulder as her head jerked to the side to see him standing right next to her.

"It's never too late for collecting one's thoughts Captain Sparrow."

Someday, when the ruse was up, Jack would have to tell Elizabeth just how much he enjoyed hearing her address him as "Captain" rather than just plain old "Jack", as she was prone to doing. He grinned and then plunked down next to her, bottle of rum in hand. He glanced fleetingly at Elizabeth and almost chuckled when her gaze fell upon the bottle, especially when she rolled her eyes in exasperation. Clearly, she still couldn't have cared less about rum and all of its pleasures. Jack uncorked the bottle and took a swig of the rich, spicy drink before resuming the conversation with Elizabeth once again.

"Still thinking about your dear teacher?" Jack teased, ready to resume a set of jokes about her attraction to males. Elizabeth rolled her eyes once again, but instead of the retort Jack was expecting, she pushed away from the mast and rose to her feet, making her way to the edge of the ship and leaning over slightly to get a better view of the horizon, where the beginnings of sunrise were emerging as the dark blue slowly lightened.

"I'm thinking about his failed marriage…" she whispered softly.

Jack cocked his head curiously. Failed marriage? Yes, Will and Elizabeth had been in love when he last left them in front of the British navy, and yes, he had anticipated them marrying, but why would the marriage had failed? Had one of them refused the other?

"Failed marriage?" Jack repeated, a slight smile playing at his lips, thankful that whatever had happened, the marriage that had been planned had fallen through. He would not have had this opportunity to take Elizabeth for himself otherwise. "Mate, I thought your teacher and his bonnie lass were in love…why would their marriage have possibly failed?"

"Not so much a failed marriage then," Elizabeth answered with a grim smile. "More like a thwarted marriage…did Mister Turner really say nothing about what had happened before he met you?"

Jack could hear the slight degree of hurt in Elizabeth's voice, and his conscience started eating away at him once again. He had already lied to Elizabeth once, when he had told her earlier that William had not mentioned anything about her being in the gallows thanks to her role in letting him escape. William's first words had indeed been, "Elizabeth is in danger," but now that he recalled the conversation they had before he had led the boy to Davy Jones, he realized that while the boy had mentioned Elizabeth being in danger, he had never mentioned a potential marriage ruined.

_So therefore, it's not really a lie to tell her that you didn't know a thing about this marriage_, his conscience encouraged him. _You'd be telling the truth, and at the same time, you'd be unraveling her confidence in dear William…what's there to lose?_

"Mate, I can attest to you that he said nothing about marriage," Jack replied with a drawl. "He seemed intensely focused on taking my compass to Beckett, but that was really the extent of his conversation."

Elizabeth was a wonderful actress, Jack had to admit, but even she could not possibly hide the flicker of hurt that passed through her eyes upon hearing Jack's words. However, he only witnessed her hurt expression for a fleeting moment; in a matter of seconds, she had recomposed herself, and she pushed away from the edge of the ship. "I suppose it is of no consequence then," she muttered, her eyes almost annoyed and angered now as she began to walk away from Jack. "I think I should retire now, so-"

"Oi Smithy, just because the whelp didn't speak about his failed nuptial vows to his beloved doesn't mean that I don't want to hear the entire story." Jack grinned to himself as he heard Elizabeth's footsteps halt for a second and then grow louder and louder. He felt her hand grip the neck of the rum bottle he was holding and immediately relinquished it, watching the girl take a practiced swig from the bottle before settling down next to Jack.

"A failed marriage hardly sounds like an intriguing story Captain Sparrow," Elizabeth finally replied dryly, rolling her eyes. "Surely this time would be better spent resting for tomorrow's journey or performing a substantial or useful task." She raised the bottle to her lips for another gulp of rum.

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Jack jovially, his eyes twinkling merrily as he watched the bottle rise. "As I once told the former Commodore and Lizzie, I love weddings  
! I even offered to buy drinks all around the ship, but for some unknown reason, the Commodore saw fit to ignore my generosity…"

Elizabeth chuckled as she recalled that scene, where Jack was undoubtedly being as infuriating as possible, although she did have a good laugh at poor James' irritated features when the whole adventure had come to an end. However, she stopped mid-chuckle when a realization dawned upon her – laughter was missing in her life. She knew that Will was devoted to her, and that their love was strong and pure, but he didn't make her laugh. He made her feel cherished, but he didn't tease her, or make jokes, or even tell her humorous stories. Truth be told, while Will could bring the widest of smiles on her face, Jack had been the only man in her life who could make her laugh with his antics.

"Oi Lizzie, are you alright?"

Elizabeth sputtered as she choked on the sip of rum that she had just taken. She stared at Jack in utmost horror. "What did you just call me?"

"Smithy," replied Jack, his brown eyes wide with innocence, though internally, he was chuckling at poor Elizabeth's shock. "Why?"

Elizabeth shook her head, trying to dispel the clouds in her mind. Had he actually addressed her by her nickname, or had she merely imagined his words? And for another matter, when, and why, had he come up with the nickname 'Lizzie'?

"Captain Sparrow," she began, her voice a bit hoarse from her sputtering. She quickly cleared her throat and continued to phrase her question. "Out of curiosity, why have you nicknamed Miss Swann 'Lizzie'? Surely she did not give you leave to do so!"

"What brought that question about?"

"Curiosity."

Jack grinned, his expression positively mischievous. So she wanted to know the purpose behind her nickname... "Curiosity can be a dangerous force mate. But I'll indulge you. I've nicknamed the bonny lass 'Lizzie' because the name Elizabeth doesn't suit her."

"What do you mean Captain Sparrow?" Elizabeth wrinkled her brow in confusion. "Elizabeth seems like a perfectly suitable name for any girl, and is hardly unusual."

"Elizabeth is the name of a woman who is caged, who preens in the face of society, who remains bound by the rules and morals that have come to mean too much in the world of today," Jack answered, his voice velvety and enticing, drawing Elizabeth slightly closer to him with every second, which only encouraged him further. "But Lizzie, now Lizzie is the name of a woman that runs wild and free, one that refuses to let the rules hold her down, a woman that longs for freedom that stretches as far as the sea and beyond."

Elizabeth blinked slowly, and suddenly, as if released from her trance, she realized just how close she and Jack were, how alone they were, and her eyes widened with horror as she flew to her feet, and without an explanation or even a single sound, she ran away from Jack, her heart beating as wildly as the waves of the sea in a storm. During her frantic flee, she failed to see the smirk on Jack's face grow more pronounced, and instead focused on making it back to the hold. The second her foot hit the stairs, she paused to catch her breath, but her heart refused to slow its pace.

For in one single sentence, the very last sentence of their conversation, Jack had effectively summed up the hidden dreams and desires of the young girl named Elizabeth Swann, something that perhaps even Will had not acknowledged about her.

And it scared her deeply that a man who was simply an acquaintance could gain more insight about her personality and character than the man that she was supposed to have married days ago.

* * *

****

I wish I could give you more, but this was all that was written up, and I'm not entirely sure how I meant the future plot to go. That's not to say I don't have my ideas, but I need a little time to flesh it out.

**Please review and send me feedback!**


	6. Chapter 5

**MidnightDreamer1988 (Dancing around with a brown bottle): Drink up me hearties, yo ho!**

**Jack Sparrow – Luv, before you can say you own this franchise, might I point out that a gang of rum-swilling pirates cannot fall under the jurisdiction of a woman who actively chooses NOT to drink?**

**Disclaimer – Pirates of the Caribbean is not mine…I'll stop dreaming now.**

**Wow, it's so sweet that people are still keeping up with this story (despite the nearly two-year-hiatus…oops). I feel a bit touched, and flattered too! Thank you all so very much! I really appreciate all you readers, especially those of you who took the time to provide me feedback!**

**Now, straight to the point. Seeing as poor Will Turner did not make a cameo last chapter, let's start with him!**

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* * *

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**Come To Join Me Crew Lad?**

_Chapter 5: In which the Kraken enjoys some death and destruction, and everyone journeys to Isla Cruces_

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* * *

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Daybreak had long passed, yet Will still found himself rowing endlessly in his tiny longboat, his arms aching with fatigue, but before he could even slow his pace, a voice in his head would remind him that he was currently In possession of the key to the chest of Davy Jones, and Davy Jones would not be one to take the loss of the key lightly. No, it was better for him to put as much distance as he possibly could, even if his arms currently felt like they would detach from his body.

Thankfully, after long hours of loneliness at the sea, he spied a ship sailing in his direction, a small merchant trading ship by the looks of it, but a ship nonetheless. He immediately urged his arms to push forward just a bit longer, and when he was finally within viewing distance of the ship's crow nest, he began to wave his hands in the hopes that the crew would be kind enough to take him aboard. Within minutes, he heard a clamor on deck, signaling that they had finally spotted him, and his good fortune continued when he saw a rope fly through the air and land right next to his longboat. He made sure the key was secure, and then dove into the water, his hand clenching the rope tightly just as the crew began to tug it back to the ship.

By the time Will had reached the deck, he was cold and wet, trembling with both the chill in the air and his fatigue. He was immediately sent to the captain's quarters, where he was then given a blanket and a cup of grog. While the grog was almost unbearable, Will's throat was parched with thirst, and his stomach cried out for sustenance, so he hurriedly polished off his cup of grog before wrapping the blanket around him for warmth. Just as he was given a second cup of grog, the captain walked into the cabin, his eyes alight with curiosity.

"I see you've recovered a bit from your long journey, but I must admit that I'm mighty curious. It's a strange thing to come upon a longboat so far out open waters," greeted Captain Bellamy. Will could see traces of suspicion lurking in his face, but perhaps even Captain Bellamy understood that a single man, especially one as bedraggled and exhausted as Will, could pose no danger to his ship.

However, Captain Bellamy was still blissfully ignorant of the presence of Davy Jones, a danger which Will was all too aware of.

"Just put as many leagues behind us as you can, as fast as you can," replied Will hoarsely, his throat burning as he took another sip of grog. Curiosity was now completely vanishing in face of suspicion as Captain Bellamy narrowed his eyes.

"And just what are we running from?"

But Will's attention was no longer focused on Captain Bellamy, for his gaze had caught a dress made of fine material, a dress so ridiculously familiar that he couldn't stop himself from rising from his seat to see if it was real, and not just an apparition. His fingers skimmed the length of tulle, the soft silk, the rich satin, remembering how pretty Elizabeth had appeared, even drenched in the rain, her face pale and her lips blue with the chill in the air. He recalled the encouraging squeeze her hands gave his as he swore to save her when she was imprisoned, their hands interlaced through the bars of her cell, and the sweet expression she had even as she uttered the words that made Governor Swann stumble with her audacity. Every memory of Elizabeth swirled within his mind, along with the painful reminder that she had been in prison when he had left, and he still had no compass to present to Beckett to barter for her safety.

But if this was her dress, then surely she was still not in prison, was she? Her dress being so far out at sea had to mean that she had rescued herself somehow, right? Will knew that Elizabeth was not one to sit still, and she was incredibly resourceful and well-trained in many arts, even sword-fighting, which he himself had taught her. In addition, she had full knowledge of sailor and pirate lore, so she could easily pass off as a sailor if she hid her physique well…

"The dress." Will cleared his throat slightly, making sure that the hope swelling within him would not be evident in his tone. "Where did you get it?"

Captain Bellamy's mouth twitched with amusement. "It was found aboard the ship. The men thought it was an omen of ill fate."

"That's foolish."

"Ah yes, exceedingly foolish," agreed one sailor.

"It brought good fortune though," pointed out a second sailor. "The spirit told us to pull in at Tortuga, and we made a nice bit of profit there."

"Off the books, of course," ended Captain Bellamy, as if admitting to Will that their merchant ship had entered a pirate harbor was a cardinal sin.

Tortuga. Will had outlined his search for Jack to Elizabeth, and he had told her that he would start with Tortuga. No doubt Elizabeth had somehow managed to persuade the Edinburgh to sail to Tortuga so that she could search for Jack. In her mind, where Jack would be was where, he, Will, was supposed to be, and Elizabeth would be completely unaware of Will's predicament, especially since he highly doubted that Jack would tell Elizabeth the truth.

If Elizabeth had even found Jack. For all he knew, Jack could still be sailing around while Elizabeth would desperately be searching for him in Tortuga. In fact, it seemed highly likely that Elizabeth was probably still at that filthy pirate port, patiently waiting for a sign of himself or Jack. He'd have to head for Tortuga immediately once the Davy Jones business was complete so that he could be reunited with Elizabeth.

"Tortuga," Will confirmed. "I imagine some of your crew may have jumped ship there."

Suspicion flickered once again in Captain Bellamy's eyes. "Why do you ask?"

Before Will could even open his mouth to reply, a third sailor rushed into the cabin. "Captain, a ship's been spotted!"

"Colors?" Captain Bellamy snapped.

"She isn't flying any."

Captain Bellamy snorted angrily. "Pirates!"

Will's blood froze with fear in his veins. Pirates didn't fly any colors.

But neither did Davy Jones.

"Or worse," he whispered, racing out of the cabin along with the sailors and Captain Bellamy.

* * *

Beneath the deck, Elizabeth swung gently on her hammock as she leafed through the Letters of Marque, contemplating whether it was necessary to alert Jack of their existence. She knew that they were intended for Jack, but the signature space was still blank, and she could easily scribble Will's name into the blank and guarantee his safety after this quagmire came to an end. And while Jack was certainly a good man, despite his pirate veneer, there were occasions on which Jack was exceedingly infuriating, and knowing him, he would probably pocket the letters for himself without allowing Elizabeth to so much as glance at them in the future.

In addition, she would probably have to describe how she obtained those letters, and she didn't really want to fabricate a whole new story to add to the collection of lies she was accruing thanks to her disguised appearance.

She tucked the Letters of Marque back into her coat and sighed. Whether or not she revealed that she was in possession of Letters of Marque, ate the very least, she needed to let Jack know who his enemy was, especially since Will had not bothered to tell Jack the whole story. It hurt her deeply to know that Will had single-mindedly asked for the compass, but had not divulged information such as his upcoming marriage (well, almost-marriage thanks to that fool Cutler Beckett) to her, the fact that she was in prison awaiting his return, and the fact that she had, in fact, been in grave danger, since her sentence was death by hanging. She loved Will deeply, was devoted to him, and desperately wanted to defy all rules and propriety for his sake, but sometimes, she wondered if Will's loved her to the same degree. Yes, Will had been solicitous, friendly, and well-mannered before their pirate adventures, so much so that he always greeted her respectfully despite her affections for him, but wasn't love supposed to make one crazy? Why did it always seem that Will was willing to give her up when in reality, she wanted him to take her in his arms and tell her that she was always to be the most important person in her life? Was it really so wrong to be selfish in love? Was it always better to follow the rules, to be compliant and step aside, like Will had done so many times? He loved her, but sometimes, she felt like she was the only one who brought passion to their relationship, while he always remained respectful. It was enough to make her want to shake him and insist that he be more spontaneous and forceful.

Elizabeth sighed once again. There was no use dwelling on these thoughts, and she would do better to remain occupied so that her mind didn't constantly wander to the one question that lurked inside the darkest depths of her mind.

_Do Will and I really love each other enough, or is something missing?_

* * *

His vision was almost nothing more than a red haze, barely penetrable by the light streaming through the sky from the sun. Sunshine, as if the day was cheerful and full of hope..

Not if he could help it. Not when he had woken to find the key missing, and its place, the cloth picture that the boy had thrown down on the bets table yesterday. The key was no doubt in the boy's possession, and with it his heart was further from his grasp than it had ever been.

He would pay dearly.

The crew had gathered upon his shouted orders, Bootstrap restrained at the very front. Good. Only a crew member could have helped the Turner boy escape, and who better than the father? He would pay too.

Davy Jones made his way towards Bootstrap, his tentacles writhing with rage as every vessel in his body burned, angry hot blood rushing to his every limb. "You will watch this! Let no joyful voice be heard! Let no man look up at the sky with hope! And let this day be cursed by we who ready to wake...the Kraken!"

"NO!" Bootstrap's yell was so pained and tortured that it had the power to slice cleanly through a man's heart.

Of course, Davy Jones had no heart to speak of in his chest, so an elated grin spread across his face as the crew members unleashed the Kraken, sealing the Turner boy's fate forever.

* * *

"Beckett?" Gibbs muttered, his gaze focused on Elizabeth.

"Yes, it was Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company who sent Mr. Turner to fetch the compass," Elizabeth answered truthfully. "Mr. Turner's retrieval of the compass would set Miss Swann free from the gallows, so Mr. Turner set out straight away while Miss Swann was kept in the gallows as incentive."

" Will was working for Beckett and never said a word," Gibbs murmured incredulously. His gaze immediately swung the Jack. "If Beckett wants the compass...only one reason for that."

"Of course," replied Jack. A frown had formed one his face upon the mention of Beckett's name, but it grew more pronounced when he realized exactly what Beckett was seeking. "He wants the chest."

"Yes, he did say something about a chest," confirmed Elizabeth quickly, hoping that someone would finally explain the significance of the chest to her. She had masked her expressions well when she had been speaking to Beckett in his office, but she had felt a bit like a prize idiot when he informed her that he was not seeking the Aztec gold of the Isla de Muerta, but an entirely different chest. Hopefully someone would clarify exactly what it was that Beckett was after.

"If the Company controls the chest, they control the sea," Gibbs explained succinctly. Elizabeth recalled how Pintel and Ragetti had pantomimed the beating heart of Davy Jones that was contained in the chest. If Davy Jones was the sea, and his heart was in the chest, then whoever possessed the heart had full control of Davy Jones and thus full control of the sea. She wrinkled her nose in distaste and Jack gave her a small smile.

"A truly discomforting notion, mate," he agreed.

"And bad, bad for every mother's son what calls himself pirate." Gibbs glanced around nervously, as if Beckett was closing in on them, and then returned his gaze to the sails. "I think there's a bit more speed to be coaxed from these sails! Brace the foreyard!" He hurried away, clearly shaken by the idea of Beckett gaining control of the seas, although Elizabeth wasn't entirely sure how making The Black Pearl go infinitesimally faster would help.

"But what's the incentive for me?"

"Beg pardon?" Elizabeth asked, turning to Jack with a confused expression on her face. His comment seemed completely random, although Jack did tend to be exceedingly random at times, so perhaps she shouldn't be that surprised or confused.

"Beckett arrests William and Lizzie, and then tells William that in exchange for me compass, he can have his bonny lass. But what do I get from giving me compass to William?"

"You get the satisfaction of knowing you saved the lives of two people who once risked their own lives for you," replied Elizabeth archly.

"Pirate." Jack's telltale smirk spread across his face, causing Elizabeth's blood to boil. "Pirates are always in need of persuading, mate, and Beckett, being a man who has dealt with pirates, is not foolish enough to believe that I would willingly relinquish my hold on the compass for so little a prize."

Elizabeth was surprised that the Letters of Marque hadn't burnt a hole through her garments yet. They certainly felt like they were burning hot, constantly reminding her of their presence. But if she gave them to Jack, how would she ever rescue Will. Beckett had said that Elizabeth would be freed when Will brought the compass to him, but he never really stated whether Will would be freed from his charges.

"Smithy."

Elizabeth jerked back to attention. "Yes Captain Sparrow?"

"What's my incentive?" Jack repeated.

Elizabeth sighed. She could tell him about the Letters of Marque without showing him, and if he managed to sail away to freedom, then she would never have to worry about handing him the letters. "Beckett has signed Letters of Marque for you. Full pardon, commission as a privateer on behalf of England and the East India Trading Company."

Jack scoffed. "As if I could be bought for such a low price."

"But if you were danger, you would snatch the papers up without a second's thought," Elizabeth retorted, a slight smile on your face.

"Now why would you say that mate?"

She smiled coyly, completely unaware at how her cat-like smile suddenly revealed all her femininity in full power, stunning Jack Sparrow momentarily. "Because you're a pirate."

She walked away as Jack stood there, still taken aback by the full force of her feminine powers, neither one realizing that one person had kept tabs on their entire conversation, one James Norrington.  


* * *

  
A loud boom sounded into the air, and suddenly Will realized exactly what was going to happen. He climbed the mass hurriedly, his heart sinking as he finally spied the ship in the distance, the one flying no colors, one all too familiar to him. It sank into the waters almost immediately after his gaze had locked upon it, but he knew that of the threat that had yet to come. He had seen the devastation from the last ship, a foreshadowing of what was to come, and he knew that this time, the outcome would be far, far worse due to his presence, his cursed presence, aboard the Edinburgh.

"The Flying Dutchman," whispered Will, his voice hoarse with fear. "I've doomed us all."  
Of course, none of the other sailors knew of the existence of Davy Jones. To them, he was a myth, a legend, and instead of preparing to fight a battle that could not be one, they stood on the deck dumbfounded as their ship jerked violently in place.

"Mother Carrie's chickens! What happened?"  
"Must've hit a reef!"  
Captain Bellamy immediately sprung into action upon hearing the frantic cries of his crew. "Free the rudder! Hard to port, then hard to starboard!"  
The sailors immediately began to execute the orders. "Free the rudder! Hard to port!"

The ship began to veer dangerously to the left, and just before Captain Bellamy could shout for them to now turn hard to starboard, Will saw a single tentacle of the Kraken emerge from the water, wrap around Captain Bellamy's waist, and then plunge back into the frothy depths, so quickly that a single sound had not even escaped from Captain Bellamy's mouth.

And Will watched as horror registered on every face, as the terrible truth that death was just around the corner dawned upon every sailor.  
"KRAKEN!"

And then chaos ensued. Sailors ran about in sheer panic, unable to flee the tentacles that crashed onto the deck of the ship. Some attempted to shoot their rifles, but their puny weaponry was no match against the strength and power of the Kracken. Amidst all the pandemonium, Will could see a sailor waving about Elizabeth's wedding dress, insisting that the Kraken take it for payment. Not that offering a dress would do any good, but Will didn't even have a chance to yell that to the sailor, seeing as a second later, he was flung from the ship by a sweeping tentacle. Will immediately knew that his position on the mast was unsafe, especially if the Kraken was determined to sink the ship, and he plunged his father's knife into the sail, providing him a cushion as he slid down, the knife tearing through the sail easily.

His feet hit the deck just as a giant tentacle crashed straight through the middle of the ship, effectively splitting it into half right at the moment Will dove into the water, escaping the ravaged and destroyed boat. His eyes automatically close upon his impact in the sea, but before rising to the surface, he opened his eyes and saw the horrific profile of the Kraken, it's tentacles thick, strong, and powerful, it's head too large to imagine, and eyes (thankfully both focused on the Edinburgh) as wide as Will himself. He immediately began to propel himself to the surface just as he saw the Kraken pull the Edinburgh ruins into the sea, forever removing all trace of the trading merchant ship from the surface.

He broke through, gasping desperately for air while he groped around for a piece of wood to float upon. However, before he could even contemplate his next action, he heard a bubbling, and suddenly, the Flying Dutchman surfaced right before him, almost grazing him as it sailed towards the Edinburgh ruins, scanning for surviving crew members. While the crew of the Dutchman were busy rounding up the sailors that had managed to live through the destruction of the Edinburgh, Will grasped tightly to the seaweed and numerous growths that clung to the hull of the ship, pulling himself up bit by bit until he had reached the jagged mouth at the bow of the ship, a perfect hiding place and one that Davy Jones would not even fathom to think of. However, as he gazed down below, he could see Elizabeth's wedding dress sink into the depths of the sea, and he felt pain stab at his heart.

It was almost as if he had lost his love to the sea. Even though he knew that Elizabeth was safe (well, as safe as she possibly could be in Tortuga), seeing her wedding dress flutter helplessly to the bottom of the sea seemed to confirm the fact that there was to be no wedding.

A symbol that maybe there would never be a wedding…

Will suddenly jerked as he heard a voice echo from the deck.

"The boy's not here. He must have been claimed by the sea."

"_I am the sea_." The anger in Davy Jones' voice was unmistakable. Will heard a thump of a wooden leg. "You need some time alone with your thoughts. Brig!"

"What of the survivors?

"There are no survivors." Jones' words were echoed by the slash of multiple swords against the soft flesh of the throats of the survivors, and Will cringed, knowing fully well that had he not been aboard the Edinburgh, the entire crew might have been able to return to their port with a tidy profit on their hands.

Because of him, an entire crew was dead, and their souls now weighed on his conscience.

No, not his conscience! This was Jack's fault! Jack had been the one to press-gang Will into Davy Jones' crew! Jack had been the one who left him behind without a worry or care, leaving him to have to fend for himself. Jack was the one who sailed away without providing him a means of escape from hell on the sea.

Suddenly, he heard Davy Jones' voice ring out in the air authoritatively once again.

"The chest is no longer safe. Chart a course for Isla Cruces. Get me there first or there'll be the devil to pay."

"First?

Even from his position in the jaws of the bow, Will could hear the rage, the absolute anger that sizzled in Davy Jones' voice. "Who sent that thieving charlatan onto my ship? Who told them of the key? Jack Sparrow!"

* * *

Elizabeth smiled to herself as she leaned against the rail of the ship, reveling in how utterly glorious it was to get the last word in a conversation with Jack Sparrow. However, it wasn't long before she heard heavy footfalls come to a stop beside her. She turned slightly to the right, expecting to see Jack beside her once again, but to her surprise, it was James who leaned against the railing alongside her, a slightly sarcastic smile on his face.

"It's a curious thing," he began, his smile starting to look a bit more like a grimace with every passing moment. "There was a time when I would have given anything for you to look like that while thinking about me."

Elizabeth cocked her head in confusion. "I don't know what you mean."

James' smile only grew more knowing, and if possible, more annoying as well. "Oh, I think you do," he retorted with a smirk, the confidence in his voice so thick that Elizabeth wanted to hurt him somehow. Slap him step on his foot, kick him in the ankle, anything for him to take back the implication that perhaps she was beginning to feel more strongly for Jack than she would for any man.

"Don't be absurd," Elizabeth snapped back, her anger getting the best of her. "Jack Sparrow still thinks I'm a male, and so far, everything he's spoken of has turned out truthful or has made sense, so why should I not take his judgment and comments seriously?"

James gave a scathing laugh and pushed away from the railing. "So you never wondered how your latest fiancé ended up on the Flying Dutchman in the first place? You honestly believe that Mr. Sparrow has nothing to do with Mr. Turner's disappearance. Elizabeth, you are not a gullible fool, I know that all too well!"

"Edward Smith, Norrington!" hissed Elizabeth angrily, shooting quick glances around her to make sure that her cover was still intact. "And what are you implying? That putting my faith in Jack is a betrayal against Will?"

"I'm not Mr. Turner, who blindly adores you, nor am I Mr. Sparrow, who has known you only for a year or so. Out of the three of us, I perhaps know you best Elizabeth, because out of all of these men, I was the one to meet you first. You were only eleven then, but you had such a morbid fascination with pirates that I feared for your upbringing. Your father attempted to shield you from all the horrors of piracy, but you relished the secrecy, the adventure, and the intrigue of it all. You seem ill at ease during societal events, yet on a pirate ship, you masquerade effortlessly, and converse with Mr. Sparrow in a manner that you have never addressed Mr. Turner or me by. You're fascinated by Jack Sparrow, and sometimes, fascination is the first step to becoming infatuated with someone."

"You're saying that I'm infatuated with Jack Sparrow?" asked Elizabeth incredulously, her head spinning from James' monologue. He couldn't possibly be right! However, before she could prepare a retort, she felt James hand by her side, untying a string, and suddenly, the compass was deposited straight into her hand.

"It points to whatever you desire Elizabeth," James whispered. "Before, when you had only spoken to Mr. Sparrow for minutes, it pointed towards the chest of Davy Jones, because that was what you believed the key to Mr. Turner's salvation would be. What does it point to now?"

James took off, leaving Elizabeth frozen against the railing, the compass resting in her raised hand. Once James had completely disappeared from sight, she managed to free herself from her daze and shook her head furiously. James was being absolutely ridiculous! She loved Will, and while she may find Jack fascinating, that certainly didn't mean that he was her heart's desire! How could she possibly desire Jack when she had to save Will?

She yanked the lid open and closed her eyes, taking deep breath before opening them to see where the compass pointed to, watching as the arrow constantly kept wavering between the direction they were sailing towards and the dreadlocked captain at the wheel. She patiently stood rooted in place for a minute, but the arrow continued to unsteadily waver between the two directions, and with an exasperated sigh, she shut the compass.

"James is right," she muttered to herself as she stormed away from the railing. "Unique really does mean broken."

* * *

James Norrington returned to his job of swabbing the deck once he had pulled away from Elizabeth, mulling over everything he had said and heard. He had no doubt struck a nerve in Elizabeth by implying that her love for her beloved Mr. Turner was diminishing in the face of her fascination for the idiot Jack Sparrow, but it was as plain as day to him that she had been staring at Jack the same way she used to stare at a blacksmith's apprentice a year ago, when she was untouched by piracy and adventure. She definitely seemed to hunger for the unusual, and Jack Sparrow was at the top of that list.

And of course, thanks to his failure, James Norrington was at the bottom of all lists, the loser by all accounts – he didn't have Elizabeth, he didn't have a ship, he didn't even have anything to call his anymore. He had lost it all in pursuit of Sparrow, and the outcome was that he was now a crew member of his mortal enemy. Life had really sunk him to the lowest level possible.

He retrieved his rag from the bucket and began to furiously scrub at a stain that perhaps only God knew the cause of when his mind stumbled upon a fact that he had not come to realize earlier.

The Letters of Marque.

Elizabeth had mentioned them to Sparrow, had told him that the letters were the incentive that Beckett was to provide him for handing over the compass, but she had not mentioned how the letters were currently on her person.

So at the moment, only two people knew that the Letters of Marque were aboard this ship – Elizabeth and himself.

If he could get his hands on the heart before Sparrow ever could, if he could sneak away with the heart and the Letters of the Marque, then he could rise to glory, reclaim his own position, and would no longer be just a shadow of the Commodore Norrington he used to be. His power and prestige would come back to him with a flick of the wrist, and he could relinquish his lowly position of deck hand for that glorious former position of a naval officer in the Royal British Navy.

But he was thinking too far ahead. He had to keep himself calm and collected so that when the time came, he could execute his plan flawlessly.

_One course of action at a time James, and soon all the rewards you deserve will drop straight into your hands once again…  
_

_

* * *

_

Jack couldn't help but grin as he sauntered towards a pensive and troubled looked Elizabeth sitting on the steps above deck, gazing out into the sea. He had seen Norrington and Lizzie talking from a distance, and Lizzie looking a bit exasperated, but he couldn't make out the topic of their conversation from his vantage point at that moment, although he suspected it had much to do with him.

After all, he's the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. Everyone knows him (and it helps that his name rolls off the tongue quite nicely too).

He sauntered over towards Elizabeth, bottle of rum in hand. "Smithy. Here I thought that you'd help your dear friend Norrignton swab the decks," he drawled with a smirk. "However, you seem to firmly seated here, as if the troubles of the world are weighing you down."

"Are you ever completely serious Captain Sparrow?" questioned Elizabeth with a roll of her eyes. "Surely even you must have your moments of normalcy."

"Life doesn't get any better by always being serious mate. So why not drink and enjoy life?"

Elizabeth snatched the bottle of rum from Jack and took a long swig of it before handing it back to its owner, startling Jack a bit. Sure, she had drunk rum on the island, but she had burned most of it. Now, it seemed as if she almost had a liking for what she once called "a vile drink".

"My tremendous intuitive sense informs me that you have a few questions for me Smithy," Jack stated, changing the subject from his lack of normalcy to Elizabeth's troubles. "Care to share them mate?"

Elizabeth sighed. How was she supposed to tell Jack that the reason she was feeling troubled and pensive was because she had imagined her life being much different at this point in time. She had thought she'd be married, be happy with Will in Port Royal with the occasional adventure. A part of her still felt that she could go back to that dream as soon as this whole Davy Jones' Heart matter cleared, but a hidden, brazen part of her constantly rattled in her brain, telling her that the taste of adventure was too much, that she could never again return to that simple, sweet dream that she had once harbored, the dream to marry a blacksmith she loved and live happily ever after.  
Of course, there were multiple other matters on her mind too, so she decided to use one of the numerous topics on her mind as a decoy. "Something you said to me earlier has caught my attention, Captain Sparrow."

Jack's eyes glimmered with intrigue. "My every word and action draws attention, but do tell Smithy." Curiosity and humor bubbled within him. What fascinating topic and conversation would Lizzie initiate now?

Elizabeth rolled her eyes once again at Jack's comment, but continued to speak. "Earlier, you asked what your incentive was for handing the compass to Beckett. I suggested that the incentive was to save the lives of Mr. Turner and Miss Swann, but you seemed to hint that you needed greater incentive."

"I didn't hint that Smithy, I outright said it," replied Jack, a single eyebrow raised.

Elizabeth felt the blood rush to her head as fury began to simmer within her. "So you have no sense of honor, decency, or moral center?"

Jack grinned toothily. "Pirate."

"So you'd let Miss Swann hang for your freedom," snapped Elizabeth angrily.

Jack's grin widened, if possible. Was Lizzie trying to figure out what he would risk for her sake? Someday, when the whole ruse was up, he would have to tell her just how much he enjoyed their debates, especially due to her masquerading as a man when he clearly saw through her disguise.

Until then, however…

"Mate, I know Lizzie better than you'll ever know her-"

"You were only acquainted with her for a matter of days!"

"Trifles!" declared Jack with a wave of his hand. "Be it days, hours, weeks, months, years, or whatever you wish to refer to, the fact is that I will always know Lizzie better than you. Now let me get to the point. I know Lizzie, and my tremendous sense of intuition of the female character tells me that she is probably not lounging about in a prison cell. She probably flitted away as soon as she found an opportune moment. So I can say, without a doubt, that dear Lizzie is quite safe."

"How could you know Miss Swann better than I?"

Jack chuckled, noting that Elizabeth had changed the subject, because really, what could she say against his comments? She was quite safe at the moment, just as Jack had said, so she couldn't really contest that.

"Because we're very much alike, she and I, us, and one day, she'll come to my side."

"Shouldn't you gain a sense of honor, some decency, and a moral center before you make such a claim? And wouldn't personal hygiene be a surer technique of obtaining a woman?"

"Shows how much you know about women, Smithy," Jack replied glibly. "How many women have you been with? Zero, I presume."

Elizabeth went slightly red, but ignored his comment. "You seem far too certain that she'll come to you. She loves Mr. Turner, and was even going to marry him."

"_Going_ to marry him. Not _married_ him. That bond definitely hasn't been set in stone yet. And in response to your statement, she'll come to me because of curiosity."

Elizabeth cocked her head. "Curiosity?"

Jack grinned and rose from the steps. "She longs for freedom mate, to do what she wants because she wants it. She'll want to act a bit selfishly, and one day, she won't be able to resist the temptation."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. Hours ago, hadn't she been wondering exactly what it was like to be selfish in the matters of love? Had Jack seriously hit home with his reply? Would she be able to resist the siren call of temptation, the lure of freedom, adventure, and selfishness?

Elizabeth shook her head with disgust. Was she letting Jack Sparrow, of all people, win an argument against her?

"Why doesn't your compass work?" she blurted out randomly.

Jack wrinkled his brow. Bugger, she had hit a nerve. "My compass works fine," he replied gruffly.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, let me tell you why your compass doesn't work for you any longer. You say that Miss Swann is battling between a society life and a life of freedom, between honor and selfishness, between decency and self-interest, but in reality, that's the battle you're fighting, isn't it?"

"I have no battles of that sort whatsoever, I can assure you. I am a fully selfish, self-interested, freedom-seeking pirate."

Elizabeth knew that sometime sooner or later, she would hit another nerve. She had definitely hit one with the mention of the compass, after all. "One day, Captain Jack Sparrow, the moment will come where you have the choice of being selfish or doing the right thing."

"I love those moments!" interrupted Jack with a smirk. "I like to wave at them as they pass by."

"You'll have the chance to do something courageous," continued Elizabeth. "Something that pits your desires against your honor, and when that chance comes, you'll discover that you're far from a pirate; you're a good man."

"I'll have you know that all evidence of me so far has proven contrary to your charming statement."

"But it'll happen one day Captain Sparrow, believe me," replied Elizabeth with cool confidence.

"Enlighten me then mate."

Elizabeth smiled slowly, a smile akin to a cat toying with a bird, and her eyes smoldered as she spoke. "You'll fall prey to curiosity. You'll want to know what it's like to be an honorable man. You'll want a chance to be admired, to gain the awards that follow. The temptation to know what it tastes like will be too great for you."

Jack's throat went dry, his eyes unable to pull away from Lizzie, beautiful and dangerous even clothed in men's garments. Her smile was entrancing, and her eyes sparkled with emotions that Jack suspected even Lizzie wasn't aware of. "I do want to know what it tastes like," he murmured, his voice as smooth as velvet.

Elizabeth suddenly realized just how close the two of them were, but she couldn't even recall when she had rose from her seat to join him. She had been goading him, trying to see if she could find a glimpse of the good man she knew was hidden deep within him, but she had stumbled into her own trap, caught under the spell of dark brown eyes that held all the adventures and secrets of the world.

And she couldn't pull away.

For minutes, the two of them stood perfectly still, not a single muscle moving as their gazes were locked onto each other. Jack was almost ready to close the distance between them, to yank Elizabeth in his arms and declare that the ruse was up, to drag her into his cabin and kiss her until both of them were senseless, but before he could take the first step, he felt a tingle in his hand, and a sudden burning sensation as the black spot slowly reappeared on his palm.

"Land ho!"

Gibb's loud cry broke through the trance, and Elizabeth immediately pulled away from the scene, rushing towards the opposite railing at the highest and most inconspicuous speed she could manage, her head light from her mental sparring with Jack. When had their discussion turned into a staring contest? When had she suddenly fallen under the spell of Jack Sparrow? Why hadn't she been able to pull away until Gibb's shouts broke the tranquil moment?

She shook her head and withdrew the compass from her coat Now was not the time for questions. She was Isla Cruces, and she had the opportunity to save Will. Jack and all the questions that followed him could wait in the face of rescuing Will.

Jack watched Elizabeth walk away as he clenched his fist, cursing the reappearance of the black spot. It had been the opportune moment to take Elizabeth for himself, and the blasted black spot chose that moment, of all moments, to reappear. However, as he stared out towards the land that Gibbs spotted, all thoughts of Elizabeth filtered out of his mind as he once again focused on the dire situation he was in, and only one thing could save him from certain death at Davy Jones' hands…tentacles…pincers…whatever they were.

"I want my jar of dirt!"

* * *

**Sigh, this chapter was kind of difficult to write, because parts of it were recaps (I have used some exact quotes in this chapter) and then some I rewrote and tailored to fit Elizabeth acting as a man. I had fun though, and I kind of enjoyed having Norrington speak some more in this chapter. I adored Norrington in the second movie (shame he got killed off in the third one…but fanfiction can easily rectify that matter ). I had a reviewer (murmuring'.breeze-) ask if Norrington would be a contender of Elizabeth's love, and while I don't really see that happening in the story (who knows? Sometimes characters have a life of their own and take your story in a completely different direction than you intended) I definitely do see him as a vital part of the story.**

**Anyways, I really hope I did the characters justice in this chapter, and I hope everyone enjoyed it. Please review and provide me feedback, because it is really important to me!**

**Have a good weekend!**


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